The Use Of Reassurance In The Crisis, No. 1, By Thomas Paine

During difficult, trying times some people feel helpless and give up way too easily. Others somehow find enough strength to find solutions to their problems. Whether giving up is done consciously or unconsciously, one thing for sure is that the outcomes are two immensely distinct scenarios. A door of hope is permanently shut when the will to try is lost. On the other hand, when we hold on a bit longer and have that small push—a voice that says, “keep going,” the possibilities are endless. Sometimes that reassurance is all we need to feel competent and capable of overcoming obstacles. There are many ways in which this reassurance can take form. In “The Crisis, No. 1” by author Thomas Paine, he addresses soldiers fighting a war who more than ever need a boost to their morale. Paine uses patriotism to instill pride, God to ensure the soldiers of their survival and gives a warning about what will happen if they give up.
Paine uplifts the soldiers’ spirits by making them feel as though their fight for the independence of their country is worth it. The soldiers, being at a low point, feel they are fighting a pointless war. They are losing battle after battle as well as their comrades. Additionally, they may have questioned why or who they were even …show more content…
Cowardice, in his eyes, was not acceptable as only by “perseverance and fortitude [they] have the prospect of a glorious issue” (Paine 695). Evidently, Paine is asking the soldiers to remain dedicated and courageous as the outcome would bring glory as opposed to a “ravaged country—a depopulated city¬—habitations without safety, and slavery without hope—[their] homes turned into barracks” (695). It was necessary for Paine to paint this picture of devastation and destruction. His choice of language here is very influential. Only in this way could he fill the soldiers with enough fear and dread to keep fighting the war for a better