America is a fairly new country especially in comparison with those of Europe. Because of this fact, there are many accounts from when Europeans first settled on the land and when America truly began to form its culture. Due to this search for identity, the views of Europe, Native Americans, and religion have been expressed in both positive and negative lights. In Benjamin Franklin’s Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America and Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, Franklin’s positive views of Native Americans and negative views of England and religion are expressed while Paine’s negative view of all aspects are shown through their use of strong imagery and metaphors. In both texts, England and America are shown to have strong connections,
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Both texts have clear and hidden messages that are saying something both about the people of Europe and the people of America, both the colonists and the Native Americans. Both texts also employ usage of mentioning religion in their pieces as a way to express their messages. In one line of Common Sense, it is written “we claim brotherhood with every European Christian” (633). This line supposes that the Americans retain contact with Europe partially due to their religious connections. The idea of religion in this piece is interesting as Paine is not religious. The mention of this can be interpreted to be a comment on how that is a ridiculous concept to bring the countries together, and that retaining contact and keeping England as their ruler should not continue. Franklin also uses religion in his piece as one of the stories he tells features a Native American man attending a Christian service. When the man asked another named Conrad what the “meeting” is for, Conrad replies “to hear and learn good things” (Franklin, 471). When the Native American man witnesses the minister “talk to the people very angrily” (471) he is confused and does not believe that they are there to learn good things, especially after he is shunned out of the service. Franklin approaches the end of this story in a humorous manner, however he does have a more serious message …show more content…
America and England are on better terms than they once were, however connections with other countries that we are closer to are struggling. America’s connection to its border country Mexico is strained due to problems such as illegal immigration. Many different people have proposed many different solutions to this problem, one of the most extreme being to build a wall between the countries. Back when Paine and Franklin wrote their essays, America was the country that was suffering mistreatment from the bigger, more powerful country of Great Britain. However, now Mexico is suffering that mistreatment, though the difference is that the United States has no legitimate power over Mexico making its interference with their lives unnecessary. Another connection between America of the 18th century and the United States today is how Native Americans and other minorities are viewed. While general opinion of the Native Americans is no longer that they are brutal savages, they are still not viewed in the most positive light. Native Americans are viewed as drunks, or lazy, or animalistic. They are still used as mascots for sports teams such as the Cleveland Indians, the Chicago Blackhawks, and the Washington Redskins, making them less human and more mythological creatures. The use of these team names may not seem like much of a
Both texts have clear and hidden messages that are saying something both about the people of Europe and the people of America, both the colonists and the Native Americans. Both texts also employ usage of mentioning religion in their pieces as a way to express their messages. In one line of Common Sense, it is written “we claim brotherhood with every European Christian” (633). This line supposes that the Americans retain contact with Europe partially due to their religious connections. The idea of religion in this piece is interesting as Paine is not religious. The mention of this can be interpreted to be a comment on how that is a ridiculous concept to bring the countries together, and that retaining contact and keeping England as their ruler should not continue. Franklin also uses religion in his piece as one of the stories he tells features a Native American man attending a Christian service. When the man asked another named Conrad what the “meeting” is for, Conrad replies “to hear and learn good things” (Franklin, 471). When the Native American man witnesses the minister “talk to the people very angrily” (471) he is confused and does not believe that they are there to learn good things, especially after he is shunned out of the service. Franklin approaches the end of this story in a humorous manner, however he does have a more serious message …show more content…
America and England are on better terms than they once were, however connections with other countries that we are closer to are struggling. America’s connection to its border country Mexico is strained due to problems such as illegal immigration. Many different people have proposed many different solutions to this problem, one of the most extreme being to build a wall between the countries. Back when Paine and Franklin wrote their essays, America was the country that was suffering mistreatment from the bigger, more powerful country of Great Britain. However, now Mexico is suffering that mistreatment, though the difference is that the United States has no legitimate power over Mexico making its interference with their lives unnecessary. Another connection between America of the 18th century and the United States today is how Native Americans and other minorities are viewed. While general opinion of the Native Americans is no longer that they are brutal savages, they are still not viewed in the most positive light. Native Americans are viewed as drunks, or lazy, or animalistic. They are still used as mascots for sports teams such as the Cleveland Indians, the Chicago Blackhawks, and the Washington Redskins, making them less human and more mythological creatures. The use of these team names may not seem like much of a