Question

For questions 1-5, Click to read the passage, then answer the question.

Read the following excerpt from Paine's Common Sense:
Not all the treasures of the world, so far as I believe, could have induced me to support an offensive war, for I think it murder; but if a thief breaks into my house, burns and destroys my property, and kills or threatens to kill me, or those that are in it, and to "bind me in all cases whatsoever" to his absolute will, am I to suffer it?

Paine uses this analogy to explain:
A. that war is never the answer.
B. how strong he feels about maintaining peace.
C. that he has been robbed before.
D. how it feels to be threatened by enemies.
E. that he feels continuously injured by war.

Answer 1

Thomas Paine's analogy is meant to explain how it feels to be threatened by enemies, justifying the colonies' right to resist British tyranny and protect themselves, akin to defending one's home against an intruder.

Step-by-step explanation:

Thomas Paine uses the analogy in the passage to explain D. how it feels to be threatened by enemies. By comparing a thief breaking into his home and threatening his life to a government imposing its will, Paine illustrates the severity of British actions against the American colonies. The passage reflects Paine’s argument that it is justified for the colonies to defend themselves against British tyranny, a theme consistent with his advocacy for American independence. The analogy underscores the right to resist an oppressive power, mirroring the sentiments of natural rights and self-governance found in the era’s revolutionary discourse. This is not a stance against all war, but against wars of aggression; it is a defense of wars fought as a last resort for self-protection, much like one's right to defend their own home against an intruder.

In this excerpt from Thomas Paine's Common Sense, he uses an analogy to explain how it feels to be threatened by enemies. Paine compares being threatened by an enemy to a thief breaking into his house, destroying his property, and threatening to kill him. This analogy helps Paine convey his strong opposition to supporting an offensive war and his belief in the right to defend oneself in the face of aggression.