One of the Founding Fathers, Thomas Paine, in his pamphlet, “Common Sense”, addressed a response to the American Revolution. Paine’s purpose for writing the piece was to convince the colonists to declare independence from Great Britain. He adopts a patriotic tone, explaining the advantages of and the need to proclaim independence from a tyrannical country. Paine also utilizes multiple rhetorical strategies, and any means necessary, to persuade his audience to share in his beliefs. With the use of constructed argument and rhetorical devices such as ethos, logos and pathos, as well as diction and syntax, Paine is able to present the argument that the United States should strive for its independence from England.
In the first sentence of Section 3 of Common Sense, Thomas Paine writes ‘In the following pages, I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense” (326). This complex utilization of both syntax and diction right-off-the-bat from Paine shows that he intends on wasting no time in conveying his point. He is presenting his audience with simple facts from which plain arguments will develop, allowing the conclusion to be common sense. In the following sentences, Thomas Paine transitions
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Can ye give to prostitution its former innocence?..) are used to convince American colonists that British rule cannot be tolerated. His use of rhetorical questions and simile effectively illustrate unjust British policies. Paine uses it to help build emotion, describe relationships, and give parallels or opposites. In this case, he uses syntax to make a list of what he believes to be Common Sense. He talks about how a man should be able to cast aside all prejudice and focus on the bigger problems and broaden his perspective of