Download Rhetorical Analysis of Thomas Paine's Common Sense and more Summaries Rhetoric in PDF only on Docsity!
LINK | ANALYSIS OF COMMON SENSE
Rhetorical Analysis of Thomas Paine’s
Common Sense
JENSEN LINK
In this sharp and detailed rhetorical analysis, Jensen Link stresses Founding Father Thomas Paine’s appeals to timeliness, credibility, foresight, emotion, and audience identity in his pathbreaking pam- phlet Common Sense. This essay was written for Writing I with Dr. Ben Wetherbee. N THE MOMENTOUS pamphlet known as Common Sense , the clocklike language ticks down to the very seconds, as Americans disputed among themselves on how the revolution would pro- ceed, with many turning to the topic of the British. The author, Thomas Paine, shows why it will be detrimental to be ever so loyal and content with the British, for it will lead to the Americans’ de- mise. In the chapter of Common Sense titled “Thoughts on the Pre- sent State of American Affairs,” Paine uses rhetoric in the forms of effective timing to encourage a befuddled country, credibility be- hind his writing, planning for the future, enthymemes that show the audience’s identity, and fiery passion that evoked a need for justice and independence. First and foremost, Paine knew that while America was strug- gling with which side to be on; it would be the perfect time to write about what is happing to persuade people to join the movement and
I
THE DROVER REVIEW VOL. IV | 2021 fight against the British. This form of kairos could not have been better, because it gave a troubled nation an answer pertaining to the present, the past, and most importantly the future of the colonies. This timing brought in a warm welcome to some feelings that he had wanted to get out to the public for quite some time. Paine’s emotions speak for himself as accents his argument with feelings of passion. He discusses key information, like how “men of all ranks have embarked in the controversy, from different motives, and with various designs; but all have been ineffectual, and the pe- riod of debate is closed.” He shows the multiple failures that others have had in debating the subject because of the diverse motives they had. He also shows that he is willing to offer his opinions but re- mains able to back up his information as factual instead of fictional. For instance, his own personal perspective: “I make the sufferers case my own, and I protest, that were I driven from house and home, my property destroyed, and my circumstances ruined, that as a man, sensible of injuries, I could never relish the doctrine of recon- ciliation, or consider myself bound thereby.” The historical condi- tion that Paine describes, property being destroyed and being driven from one’s home, shows that he has understood the level of barbarity from the British, which shows the credibility one would have if they experienced it firsthand. Another example Paine uses to persuade the audience to believe in him emerges when he rebuts the argument that the British are helping the colonists because of how much colonists have flourished under British rule. Paine immediately provides an example to coun- ter this argument by discussing how “We may as well assert that be- cause a child has thrived upon milk, that it is never to have meat.” This example shows that America can only grow and become inde- pendent by being self-sustaining. This also reveals to the audience that the reliance the Americans have had on the British. It makes the average British citizen appear as some sort of pawn for the King’s personal gain, which colonists can conceptualize and relate
THE DROVER REVIEW VOL. IV | 2021 since the British is powerful, they would protect the colonists from attackers. Yet again, Paine dismisses this blasphemy and expresses his emotions clearly, claiming that Britain’s “motive was INTEREST not ATTACHMENT; and that she did not protect us from OUR EN- EMIES on OUR ACCOUNT; but from HER EMEMIES on HER OWN ACCOUNT, from those who had no quarrel with us on any OTHER ACCOUNT, and who will always be our enemies on the SAME ACCOUNT.” This reflective attitude warns that if British rule continues, the colonists will lose the reason why people fled the Brit- ish in the first place—their freedom. Thomas Paine did not know if his words would reach the public, but they did, and by storm, with over 120,000 pamphlets in circula- tion three months after publication. His work helped organize and inspired the colonial army, which may have changed the outlook for the whole war and contribute to why we have freedom to this day. Paine’s pamphlet was welcomed by the community because of its perfect timing, the use of experience, vision of the future, and the love put into it. In this pamphlet, Paine wanted to reveal this in the most basic of terms to show what everyone was missing, some com- mon sense. ►► ►► WORK CITED PAINE, THOMAS. “Thoughts on the Present State of American Affairs.” Com- mon Sense , 1776, UShistory.org , 1995, www.ushistory.org/paine/ commonsense/sense4.htm. Accessed 6 Oct. 2020.
