Rhetorical Analysis: The Crisis, No. 1 by Thomas Paine
Political writer, Thomas Paine, in his persuasive writing, The Crisis No. 1, expresses feelings towards Britain’s control over the colonies. Paine’s purpose is to unite the colonists in an effort to retaliate against Great Britain. He uses an objective tone in order to unite and rally the common person in his nation. Paine opens his persuasion to the nation by warning that getting their freedom from Britain will not be easy.
By using the simile, “Tyranny, like hell…, implies that Britain’s control over them will not be easy to overcome. As he says in the beginning of the paragraph, “The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will… shrink from the service… but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and women. “, this states that anyone who will not fight for their country does not deserve their country, he uses pathos when declaring this statement.
In the latter section of this paragraph, Paine uses the metaphor, “… f being bound in that manner is not slavery”, to show that the way that the Britain is controlling them, makes them feel like slaves. Paine later uses ethos when he states, “However, the fault, if it were one, was all our own; we have none to blame but ourselves. But no great deal is lost yet. ” He says this to show the nation that they had messed up in the beginning, but if they were to come together they could right the wrongs that were done. In the following paragraph, Paine uses pathos when he talks about God not giving up on his people.
That God will provide for them and not give them “up to the care of devils”. he also states that God will be on their side, “I cannot see on what grounds the King of Britain can look up to heaven for help against us: a common murderer”. Paine shifts to talk about panic, how panic can be used to produce good and bad. He uses a simile in paragraph three, “Britain has trembled like and ague”, he uses this to show that even the royal British army can be terrified, later in the paragraph he states, “the whole English army… was driven back like men petrified with fear”, to emphasize his point more.
Paine opens the closing paragraph by uniting the people with ethos, “The far and near, the home counties and the back, the rich and the poor will suffer or rejoice alike. ” In saying that Paine implies, no matter what happens they all will stay together, whether it be death or freedom. He also uses ethos by stating “Not all the treasures in the world… could have induced me to support and offensive war, I think it murder. “, by saying this Paine shows that war was the last option he would have much rather came to a peaceful solution, but given the circumstances, there was no choice.
Paine closes up the paragraph by using an asyndeton, “Let them call me a rebel and welcome… but I should suffer the misery of devils were I to make a whore of my soul by swearing allegiance to one whose character is that of a sottish, stupid, stubborn, worthless, brutish man. ” His use of the asyndeton to show that the King is much more than that he listed. In The Crisis No. 1, Thomas Paine creates an objective tone to unite and rally the nation by showing what kind of man the King of Britain is. Paine achieved his goal by using a variety of rhetorical devices. He connected to the nation through the use of his devices.
