Baker1

CharlesBaker
Mr.Walters
APEnglish3
25November2014
AnalysisofThomasPaines:CommonSense
ThomasPainesCommonSensewaswritteninthesummerof1776,beforeAmerica
wenttowarwithGreatBritain.Thetimeandoccasionsurroundingthisarticlearebothofgreat
importance,sinceCommonSensewasultimatelywrittentopersuadeAmericanstofightfor
theirindependence.InCommonSense,Painedemonstratesakeenunderstandingofhis
audiencewhenhespeakshighlyofAmericaandberatesGreatBritan,whileusingvividimagery.
Itisimportanttonotetheintroductionindetail,asthisistheparagraphPaineusesto
hookhisaudience.Fromthebeginning,Painestartswithaconcession,admittingthathemaynot
beabletopersuadehisreaders,inwaytoshowhumility.Painestateshowever,thatifreason
doesnotcreatemoreconverts,thentimewill.Bydoingthis,Paineuseslogostobolsterhis
argument,aswellashisethos,sincemanypeopleunderstandthateventhoughhisargumentsare
limited,yetvalid.Paineultimatelyletshisaudienceknowthatwhilemaynotcompletely
persuadethemtofight,intimetheywillseetheeffectsoftheiractions.Inthesamefashion,
Painedoesthistofurtherhisclaim,thattheonlyreasonthepeopledonotthinkanythingwrong
isoccurring,isbecausetheyareusedtothinkingthatitisright.Itisveryapparentthathe
believesthosewhodonotsharehisphilosophyontheinitiationofbattleareunreasonable,even
statingthattheyarecaughtinatumult,howeverheknowsthathecannotfullycontrolthem.

Baker2

Laterinthetext,Painecontinuestouselogicalreasoningtofurthershowunderstanding
ofhisaudience,theeverangrycolonists.Paineusesimagerytopaintanimageofreconciliation
beingmerelyadream.HestatesthatreconciliationisnolongeranoptionandthatAmericanscan
onlypropelthemselves,notbydreaming,butbyusingcommonsense.Thisvastlyenhanceshis
argument,becauseashestatedbefore,peopleareoftencaughtupintheirperceivedrealitythus
byturningreconciliationintoafalsereality,hechallengeseverythingthecolonistsbelievedin.
Heusespathoswhendepictingtheseriousnessofthesituation.Thisoccurswhenhestatesthat
itsnottheaffairofacity,aprovince,akingdomoracountrybutofacontinentofatleastone
eighthpartofthehabitableglobeevokingunrestamongthepeople.Painecleverlyexemplifies
thesituationathand,makingAmericansassimilatebecausetheyfeelthattheBritishareathreat
thatisouttoharmallofthem.ThisisexactlywhatPainewantedafterall.
Inthefinalanalysis,itisevidentthatthroughhiseffectiveuseofrhetoricaldevices,
ThomasPaineobviouslyunderstandshisaudience.Painemanagedtocreateabalanceofethos
logosandpathosthroughoutCommonSense,whichprovedeffectiveinsendinghismessage.
Hischoiceofwords,combinedwithhisstyleandtonecreateaforebodingandslightly
mysteriousmood.Thisatmosphere,createdbyPaine,iswhatdroveseveralAmericanstobattle
withtheBritishintheRevolutionaryWar.