Reflection Thomas Paine

The writing, The Crisis No. 1, by Thomas Paine to me was definitley a piece from the rationalism period. Just by reading the very begenning, you could tell that Paine was a rationalist. He uses reason and thought to prove his points, as compared to the puritan writing style before where a lot of emotion was used. I think that the Rationalistic writing style is much better at pursueding people and getting points across because if the reader is reading facts and reason, their mind is not left alone to think about the decision and use their emotions. Like I said, from the very begenning you can tell it is a rationalistic piece. In the very pfirst paragraph in the exerpt from the book. Thomas Paine says, "Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, had declared that she has a right (not only to tax) but "to bind us in all cases whatsoever"; and if being bound in that manner is not slavery, then there is not such a thing as slavery upon Earth" (Paine 134). This quote shows that Paine was really into getting people fired up and wanting them to stand up for what they believe in in the British Colonies. He makes it ver clear that he thinks the British Government is taking over everything and overstepping their boundaries into people's lives. I think that Paine was adressing this piece to people in the military. If you read the before you Read Section (132), it says that Thomas Paines's letter the Crisis, was to be rad at all the military camgrounds. This just makes me think he was targetting all the military people because it is obvious that people in the military show true passion for their country if they are willing to die for it, then they are most likely willing to stand up for what their country believes in.

Thomas Paine also says in the exerpt, Thomas Paine said in the excerpt, “We did not make a proper use of last winter… and the fault is all our own” (Paine 135). I think that this quote really shows the Rationalistic thinking of Thomas Paine because rationalism was a time of reasoning and deeper thought, not just emotions. Thomas Paine had obviously thought through peeople sitting around and not accomplishing a lot during the winter. I can tell he was using a rationalistic thought process because he was thinking logically when thinking that things were actually our fault. I think that by telling people they have not accompished a lot, then hopefully they will be fired up and ready to prove you wrong and do something about what they should of already been doing. That is definitley how my brain works, when somebody tells me that I can't, it makes me want to show them that I most definitley can. He just wants to get them a little stirred up about how they are being treated from the government overseas so then hopefully, they will finally do something about it.

Paine, Thomas. "from The Crisis, No.1." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 134-136. Print.

"Before you Read: From The Crisis, No. 1." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 132. Print.