Facilitator Prep Sheet 3

Common Sense by Thomas Paine
Facilitator prep sheet
--Who is writing?
Thomas Paine is writing.
--Who is the audience?
The audience is all colonists.
--Who do the writers represent?
The Writer appears to only represent himself, but could be inferred as representing all separatists.
--What is being said, argued and/or requested?
It is being argued that they should forcefully split from England “By referring the matter from argument to arms.” P5
--How is it being said, argued and/or requested?
It is being said in the form of offer of “nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense” P1 in which the author is plainly spoken and does well to disguise his bias in the presentation of his facts, however present it may be.
--What proof and/or justification is being used to legitimize the request?
He argues by drawing upon the human want to create something lasting (not a “day, a year, or an age” P4), looking at the downside of continued connection, arguing that Britain is not their parent country and would make a poor parent country, arguing that they go to wars by proxy of their relationship to England, stating that “Europe, not England is the parent country of America” P11, stating that they are unprejudiced against each other, stating that they will have a market in Europe that will protect them, stating that god wills them to separate, and suggesting that the colonists think of the impact upon the children and the precedent of Boston.