Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God

For example, Paine claims if the “back counties” were to give up their arms, then they’d be killed by the Indians, whom the British had given weapons and stirred up. If the “home counties” were to surrender, then the back counties would inevitably express their resentment. And if any one state were to yield to the British, then the British would need to protect them with all they’ve got to keep the other states from destroying them. Another technique the pair use is fear-mongering and inspiring hatred of the British. Henry did this mostly with slave imagery, while Paine uses more varied scenarios of life under the British. Paine suggests that slavery may not be the worst of the possible futures under British

Next, the author of “The Crisis № 1”: Thomas Paine, uses aphorisms, while portraying ethos, to get his point across to the colonists. Although Paine uses several aphorisms throughout the first paragraph of the document, there is one that completely sums up what he is fighting for: “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph” (Paine 88). This quote explains how King George III acts like the devil and rules like a tyrant. Paine tries to get people to join together during this difficult time. Even though he knows that this will be a tough fight, the victory will be worth it. Aphorisms give the audience, not only an eye opener to the situation, but also a lesson that explains how life operates. Paine uses ethos while describing England’s rule:

During the Revolutionary War, writers and orators publicly revealed their thoughts on how to respond to Britain’s further subjugation of the American colonies. After a futile hope for reconciliation and failed petitions to the British government, several patriots, such as Thomas Paine and Patrick Henry, called for the colonists to take up arms against the British. Through Paine’s Common Sense and Henry’s “Speech in the Virginia Convention”, they displayed an adamant message for the colonies to fight immediately. Both used the rhetorical elements of ethos, pathos, and logos within their respective works, and their various applications to the three elements allowed for their arguments to reach all ears and influence the majority of the population towards the fight for independence.

“Give me liberty, or give me death!” is a quotation attributed to Patrick Henry, which he used to close his speech to Virginia Convention. During this time period, the 1770s, Patrick Henry, Thomas Paine, and Thomas Jefferson all made arguments in favor of separation of the American colonies from Great Britain; many of these appeals were persuasive for different reasons, whether that be logical, emotional, or pertaining to credibility and trust, which is to say logos, pathos, and ethos. First of all, we will examine Henry’s arguments during his speech at the Virginia Convention. Then, we will identify Paine’s appeals in a part of his essay, The Crisis n1. Lastly, we will evaluate Jefferson’s myriad of arguments in a part of his Autobiography.

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...", he 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

Jonathan Edwards, a famous preacher in pre-colonial times, composed a sermon that was driven to alert and inject neo Puritanical fear into an eighteenth century congregation. This Bible based and serious audience sought after religious instruction and enlightenment. Through the sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," Edwards offers a very harsh interpretation to humankind. Edwards utilizes various rhetorical techniques to evoke an emotional response in his audience and to persuade the members of his congregation that their wicked actions will awaken a very ruthless and merciless God.

Thomas Paine, in his renowned work Common Sense, unambiguously uses pathos to call the founding fathers, and the American colonies as a whole, to action against the oppression of the British government. By using explicit figurative language, passionate diction, and the persistent parallel structure used to create correlation between citizen and governing powers, Paine masterfully manipulates the rhetorical appeals and devices in this piece in order to inspire action.

In result of The Seven Years’ War Britain controlled American trade and territory. In order to pay for the expenses of the war several taxation acts and military presence were implemented such as the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Currency Act, Quartering Act and the presence of British troops at the colonies. Consequently, Americans who thought these actions violated their political and constitutional liberties opposed these policies with petitions, boycotts, and resistance strategies known as the Imperial Crisis. In January 1776 Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was composed to convince Americans of the need for independence from British rule and establishment of democracy. This pamphlet

Throughout The Crisis, Paine incorporates multiple uses of language to persuade the men to enlist in the war for freedom. Paine states, “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered” (1). He emphasizes that Britain's tyranny of the American colonies will be

In the sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, Edwards displays controversial viewpoints and ideas concerning heaven and hell. As Edwards speaks to the congregation he warns them of the misery and suffering they will face if they do not repent of certain sins. He also describes God as angry which probably struck fear into the hearts on many. To illustrate his own point that hell is unenviable without repentance Jonathan Edwards creates the idea of an angry God using intense similes, a harsh tone, and strong emotional appeal in “Sinners in the hand of an Angry God”.

Paine begins his pamphlet with a strong use of rhetorical appeals to explain the necessity, though minor evil, of a government, leaving room to the reader’s common sense to realize it as a democratic system. Paine’s structured logos of the first two paragraphs provides a logical and convincing evidence for the need of structure in a society to provide safety and concludes: “Wherefore, security being the true design and end of government, it unanswerably follows that whatever for thereof appears most likely to ensure it to us, with the least expense and greatest benefit, is preferable to all others” (par. 2). The pathos of the text is instead increased by dire diction and schemes like juxtaposition and parallel structure. Paine’s powerful juxtapositions points on the contrast between right and wrong, society and government (identified as British Crown). Through the fear, Paine manipulates the public’s thoughts convincing it of the danger that Britain constitutes when saying “Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher” (par.1). The effect of highlighting this difference is that audience is voluntarily forced to choose the society as benefic and to condemn the government, which now, also because of the dire diction, appears to them as a threat. Paine’s ethos is instead built thanks to the authoritative and self-assured tone: the author’s confidence emerges particularly in

The purpose of writing in common, everyday language is that the people could easily understand the document better. This is essential because many people were uneducated and could not comprehend complicated terminology. Thus, Paine begins with “these are the times that try men’s souls,” attempting to ignite anger towards Britain in the reader. Moreover, Paine incorporates figurative language, such as analogy and metaphor, to provide a clearer image for the reader. The King of Britain is compared to a “common murderer, a highwayman, or a house-breaker,” changing the people’s perspective (if it wasn’t already) of the King from a prestigious, admirable man to the common criminal. By demoting the King, the people can see him as a common enemy that they must destroy and abolish from their society. Paine is directing them to unite them as a society that requires punishing and cleansing felons, otherwise, they cannot be the best: the role-model for other countries to follow. And to achieve this status, America must be under its own government and its own rules, meaning she must be liberated from Britain’s grasp. The nation’s desire to be free from their control cannot be suppressed “for though the flame of liberty may sometimes cease to shine, the coal can never expire.” The coal is a metaphor for mankind’s desire to exercise

However, Paine combats all of these notions with well-thought-out, educated details that sway those arguments. For example, the idea of England increasing the profitability of America’s trade is addressed by Paine saying, “Our plan is commerce and that, well attended to, will secure us the peace and friendship of all Europe; because it is the interest of all Europe to have America a free port. Her trade will always be a protection and her barrenness of gold and silver secure her from invaders.” (Paine, 458). Paine’s use of the lack of the readers’ common knowledge allows for a compelling argument which would enlighten audiences.

Proving that the liberties of the common people are something worth fighting for, Paine uses relatable figurative language in order to provide a more personal connection to the colonists in hopes of encouraging the proverbial David to stand up and wage war against Goliath. Paine pens an analogy stating that if a “child has thrived upon milk” then the child will never want “meat”. This analogy elicits a critical turning point in Paine’s pamphlet as he transitions from asking rhetorical questions to authoritative and comparative statements. Paine alludes to the overwhelming axiom that the colonies have been a baby drinking milk only satisfied by meeting the needs of Britain, instead of standing up for their individual rights and

In Johnathan Edward's, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," Edwards has a particular style of writing that conveys an underlying purpose when delivering the sermon. Throughout the sermon, he uses multiple writing techniques and tools to engage the listener more, and to assure the listeners believe and trust him. Edwards purpose of writing and delivering the sermon, is to warn his people and to whomever else wants to agree, that they all must show their remorse of their sins to God before it is too late. Every sentence in the sermon, is based around scarring the people even more and more. Edwards accomplishes this by using certain diction and structure, a certain tone, and persuasive figurative language.