McKenzie B
AP Language
15 January 2014
The Crisis Thomas Paine's The Crisis combines the uses of euphonious and mocking words to expand his feelings towards defenders and non-defenders of the nation, the use of figurative and exact language to provide ethos and the idea of unity, and syntax to make the essay more direct yet compelling all to convey his purpose of becoming unified against an injustice rather than falling into solidarity. The words “summer soldier” and the “sunshine patriot” (Paragraph 1) are juxtapositions because normally soldiers obey orders and are serious, but when paired with summer there is the implication of a carefree or off-duty solider. The same idea goes to the " sunshine patriot" because patriots are people who defend their country yet sunshine adds a carefree, eternal happiness view. Paine points out that non-defenders seem fine with the existing treatment and policies. In addition describing the non-defenders as indifferent to British rule, Paine constantly includes the word 'shrink' when describing the actions of non-defenders. The word shrink gives the image of a mouse shrinking or recoiling in fear of what may come. The non-defenders fear the possible consequences of revolting against British rule and much rather reside in their comfort zones. In contrast, Paine praises the defenders of the country with words such as “brave” and “strength” to imply that they are superior in a moral and patriotic aspect. The uses of euphonious and mocking words provide insight in Paine's contrasting views of the defenders who unify and the non-defenders who solidify. Paine’s use of figurative and exact language emphasizes his point to the audience of unifying everyone instead of solidifying. The simile "Tyranny, like hell" (Paragraph 1) implies that overpowering their stable government will not be easy because Britain's oppressive control over the Americans is similar to the binding gates of hell. He relates this struggle as almost impassable as a way to imply that every bit of power is needed to overthrow this control. He includes the metaphor “The heart that feels not now is dead” (Paragraph 5) to provide irony because normally the idea of a heart equals life. Paine aims to insult those who do not fight by calling them dead as a way to emphasize the separation between defenders and non-defenders; and to emphasize that unifying together results in life while solidifying leads to death. In opposition to figurative language, Paine uses exact language when referring to God’s plan by declaring, “ God Almighty will not give up a people to military destruction” (Paragraph 3). During this time period religion was a main reason for people's actions and decisions. Religion is used to appeal to ethos of both defenders and non-defenders and to give people a unified reason to fight. Paine aims to persuade those who refuse to fight by using a greater power to convince them. This exact language causes people to believe in Paine's word because they can relate to God’s