Thomas Paine Crisis No. 1 Analysis

Thomas Paine wrote a series of 16 pamphlets known as The American Crisis. “Crisis No. 1” is the first document of this pamphlet that was read aloud to the continental army. Paine wanted to unify the soldiers and boost morale before the Battle of Trenton. These soldiers were worn out colonists who were discouraged and exhausted from fighting. In addition to unifying the soldiers, Paine was determined to unify the nation to fight against Britain. Through personification, imagery and rhetorical questions, Paine uses an emotional appeal that is effective in persuading these soldiers to keep fighting the British.
Personification is found throughout the speech given to the soldiers. For example, when Paine says, "Not a place on earth might be so happy as America", he gives a human characteristic to America. America is seen as a whole. When the soldiers think of America, the country they are fighting for, it extracts pride. It reminds people of American’s beauty and their love for it. Even when you apply logic to why you are fighting for your country, it does not appeal as much. People tend to fight for pride and …show more content…
When Paine asks “but if a thief breaks into my house, burns and destroys my property, and kills or threatens to kill me, or those that are in it, and to "bind me in all cases whatsoever" to his absolute will, am I to suffer it? What signifies it to me, whether he who does it is a king or a common man; my countryman or not my countryman; whether it be done by an individual villain, or an army of them?” he is using the emotional appeal. You can feel Paine’s anger, so this will get the soldiers fuming too. When they image this, they will feel a sense of hatred for the British that will keep them fighting. This rhetorical question makes the soldiers think but emotions play a bigger role in their