Summary Of Common Sense By Thomas Paine

Common Sense Analysis
Political theorist Thomas Paine, in his essay Common Sense, asserts to the thirteen American colonies, that the time for reaping the fruit of independence from Great Britain is now; and colonial involvement in the fight for independence is crucial to their success as a country. He supports his argument by employing analogies, figurative language and pathos as appeals. Paine then alludes to credible writings and familiarity to establish a connection with the colonists. He uses straightforward writing, with clear points and simple diction to reach the most people. Finally, Paine attempts to convey his vision and hopes for the emerging country, by reminding the colonists how they have succeeded thus far, and what they could

Paine manipulated figurative language as one of his main strategies to convince the colonists to act. He alleged; “Government, like dress, is the badge of lost innocence” (Paine, par. 7). This functions as both a simile and an allusion to the Bible. In the Garden of Eden, before Eve ate the apple, both she and Adam were nude, but after their shared loss of innocence they put on clothes as did all following generations. With this comparison Paine is stating that government disguises what is pure and builds upon a community's lost virtue. Society is created by our wants, but the government is a “necessary evil” to keep those desires in check. Paine is not against government, generally, he is trying to prove the natural need for a broader government structure, a republican government specifically. People cannot be trusted to rule alone because of moral corruption, therefore a government is necessary to establish order and civility. Simile and allusion is effective in communicating Paine’s point, because it describes a point vividly, helping to illustrate the argument in

At the time, Britain wasn’t harming America, simply using it as the “goose with the golden egg,” so to speak. Britain’s alliance with America benefited Britain directly, while America was simply the provider. In earlier sections of Paine’s writing he avows; "Some have argued that because America has flourished under her former connection with the British, it is necessary for America to remain tightly bound to Britain to achieve future happiness” (327). Paine disagrees that America should be under Britain's tyranny and uses a metaphor to back up his own argument; “that because a baby has flourished on milk, it should never eat” (327). Here Paine exposes Britain, showing that this fight for independence isn’t one of war but of morals. Britain keeps America dependent on “the Motherland”, and while it seems that America is flourishing, she would be better off, growing independently. This is a vivid example of the effective use of pathos, because it brings out the raw and burning emotions of patriotism and anger, when the question is one of moral