Text Analysis: Common Sense by Thomas Paine

Jessica Ackerman
11-5-08 Text Analysis
Common Sense


>>>Who is writing?
Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense in 1776, which is a pamphlet published during the time of the American Revolution.
Who is the audience?

>>>The audience of the Common Sense pamphlet would be all people who read the document. In the first sentence of the pamphlet Paine states that he has “…no other preliminaries to settle with the reader…” This, to me, implies that the readers are the audience.

>>>Who does the writer represent?
The writer represents America because he is fighting for independence in America. Paine argues that America should be dependent and to stop relying on Great- Britain. Paine wrote this pamphlet specifically about the struggle between America and Great-Britain, and about using common sense to be independent.

>>>What is being said or argued?
What Thomas Paine is saying, is that though America has prospered under British rule, Paine thinks that America has changed and shouldn’t be under British law anymore. Paine prefers society over government; society is based on people’s opinions and in government people have no opinion. He also wrote about how people should use common sense to figure out that British governments were, in a way, betraying the Americans. Thomas Paine disliked the British and thought that America should become dependent on themselves.

>>>How is it being said or argued?
It is being said or argued in an informative, strict type of way. It is strict and informative because it is a pamphlet written about problems between American and Great-Britain, and how Thomas Paine thought they should overcome it.

>>>What is the proof and/or justification?
The proof of the pamphlet it the problems and lies from the British government. Also I think that the pamphlet is its own proof because Thomas Paine wrote this about how people should use common sense to make America independent.