The fight for independence that took place in America in the 1770’s, more than being a spontaneous act, was derived and supported by influential writers such as Thomas Paine who used various persuasive literary methods to influence the common Americans. Thomas Paine in two of his works, “The American Crisis” and “ Common Sense”, demonstrates his ability to persuade the wast majority to support the independence of America. One tactic that is employed by Paine is the use of guilt in order to appeal to the reader’s emotions, and persuade them to fight for independence.
The word “guilt” is an abstract term that incorporates many feelings. To understand the different ways that Paine inflicts the feeling of guilt directly and indirectly upon the …show more content…
One of the most distinguished groups of people that Paine tries to influence are the tories, or American colonists who support the British. Paine, knowing that a man holds his utmost emotions toward his family and his family’s security, confronts fathers, men, and the heads of families for their support of the British. For initiating this provocation, Pain recalls the instance when he saw a man who was a tory, with a beautiful child, responding to the fight for independence by stating “ ‘Well! give me peace in my day’ ”. Paine describes anger toward such people, and calls such a cowardly excuse for not joining the revolution as an “unfatherly expression”. Considering that at the time men were heads of families and had their own pride, it’s possible to conclude that Paine’s words were exposing a very harsh reality for these men. The reality, the fight for independence, as Paine puts it, is inevitable, and will take place, if not now then in the future. In this manner, the men who were initially against the revolution would have to start to question their own actions. As fathers, they may start to take into consideration the future safety of their children and weigh it against the cost of going into war and possibly dying. As
The word “guilt” is an abstract term that incorporates many feelings. To understand the different ways that Paine inflicts the feeling of guilt directly and indirectly upon the …show more content…
One of the most distinguished groups of people that Paine tries to influence are the tories, or American colonists who support the British. Paine, knowing that a man holds his utmost emotions toward his family and his family’s security, confronts fathers, men, and the heads of families for their support of the British. For initiating this provocation, Pain recalls the instance when he saw a man who was a tory, with a beautiful child, responding to the fight for independence by stating “ ‘Well! give me peace in my day’ ”. Paine describes anger toward such people, and calls such a cowardly excuse for not joining the revolution as an “unfatherly expression”. Considering that at the time men were heads of families and had their own pride, it’s possible to conclude that Paine’s words were exposing a very harsh reality for these men. The reality, the fight for independence, as Paine puts it, is inevitable, and will take place, if not now then in the future. In this manner, the men who were initially against the revolution would have to start to question their own actions. As fathers, they may start to take into consideration the future safety of their children and weigh it against the cost of going into war and possibly dying. As