Question

Read the excerpt from Common Sense. "Some Massanello may hereafter arise, who, laying hold of popular disquietudes, may collect together the desperate and the discontented, and by assuming to themselves the powers of government may sweep away the liberties of the continent like a deluge." In the excerpt, Paine compares a deluge—a torrential downpour—to the actions of a group of men to illustrate their

force.

intentions.

numbers.

pride.

Answer 1

In the excerpt, Paine compares a deluge—a torrential downpour—to the actions of a group of men to illustrate their force.

Thomas Paine didn’t agree with the fact that Great Britain has always benefited the colonies and will ever benefit them in the future. Author’s views on this can be summarized from his lines that "Nothing can be more fallacious than this..." he is against the fact that Great Britain should be believed as a benefited in the future too. He opposes the fact that it will provide security and protection to the colonized countries.

Answer 2

What Paine aimed to illustrate in this fragment of his book Common Sense was the force of the group of men described.

Thomas Paine's Common Sense was directed to the inhabitants of America right before the revolution started, specially to the very numerous middle class, and instigated them to revolt against the English ruling. He explained the negative impacts of the British ways and how their dominance was unecessary. The American population should not be paying taxes to the Brithish or obey their rules. So he asked Americans to come into action and break the British system, which means, to truly start a revolution.

The whole book tries to call upon the force and the strenght of the Americans to initiate a rebellion against the oppresors and to trigger the end of an era. Actually, Thomas Paine (1737-1809) is one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.