revolutionary authors questions
Because his audience was familiar to the Bible and classical mythology, Henry knew certain allusions would be effective. Find two allusions in Henry's speech. How would each allusion relate to the conflicts in Virginia in 1775?
in the 2nd line that 'Britain "sings" like a siren' and in line 12 'as Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss' This is all Britain pretending to support the colonies.
with the edits and cuts that were made, how would you describe the beliefs and values of the delegates?
Congress to stick to the facts and avoid emotions
Explain the phrase "As for me, give me liberty or give me death!"
You can explain this on the test. I'm not typing this because you should know it.
after reading the excerpts from Franklin's writing, how would you describe his personality and character?
He made good natured fun of himself, and of the weakness of human nature. He believe that people should worked hard, learn as much as possible and be kind to others
What is Henry's answer to the objection that the colonists are not ready to fight the British?
He says that the colonists are not weak and they they will not fight alone. He says that the colonists will be aided by God.
How has Henry interpreted Britain's enlarging of its navies and armies?
He sees it as an effort to forcefully subdue the colonies.
do you think aphorisms like those in Poor Richard's Alamack are helpful to people? why or why not?
aphorism are helpful because they provide moral guidance through a short witty saying
What is the main idea or argument of the Declaration?
are separating from Britain colonists are justified because the king abused there right to freedom
Why did congress make cuts to the Declaration?
avoid offending Britain and slave-holders to eliminate repetition
Many of Paine's statements are memorable and moving. Which statements might still encourage people to face conflicts? why?
"...that America will never be happy till she gets clear of foreign dominion" "It matters not wear you live or what rank you life you hold, the evil or blessing will reach you all." It shows them the we need freedom because there is no one higher that anyone
why do you think Franklin has a fictional character narrate Poor Richard's Alamack? explain
Fictional narrator can be a humorist figure. it allows Franklin to write in a voice other that his own
describe the project Franklin undertook when he was a young man.
Franklin decides to life a moral life by mastering on virtual a week.
what does Franklin's plan reveal about his character?
Franklin is determined, ambitious, discipline, and order in his attempt to become to live a virtuous life.
in the autobiography, Franklin discusses his attempt to learn the habit of virtues. what can you infer about his character for his discussion? explain
Franklin likes to set large goals for himself but he needs to establish concrete steps and small goals for himself to attain a larger goal
Reactions to The Autobiography have sometimes been negative. What aspects of the autobiography might have been criticized?
Franklin may seem to proud of is accomplishments
In the Autobiography, Franklin writes about "arriving at moral perfection" just as he has earlier written about his arrival in Philadelphia what does this similarity in his language reveal about Franklin's philosophical assumptions?
He believes he can succeed.
What does Henry foresee happening if the country does not fight Britain?
He believes that the Britain's will enslave the colonists if they don't fight back.
what is Franklin's condition in life when he arrives in Philadelphia?
He's tired, dirty, no food and no place to stay for the night.
what does Henry's willingness to make such assertion reveal about his character?
Henry is a man of courage who deeply cares about his country.
Do you think Henry was prepared to stand behind his words when he exclaimed, " Give me liberty or give me death!" why or why not
Henry is deeply committed to independence, his final point in this speech is that he is bring a death sentence himself if the colonists lose the war
What measures does Henry say the colonists have already tried in their dealings with England?
Henry says that the colonists have petitioned, remonstrated, supplicated, prostrated and implored the throne and tried to remain peaceful and talk but it didn't work.
What course of action does Henry want the colonists to take?
Henry wants them to prepare for war
how do Franklin's aphorisms convey so much meaning in so few words? explain
His aphorism contain meaning though the use of symbols and metaphors
Why does Henry believe it is useless to "cry peace?"
It is hard to cry for peace when the war has already begun.
what stylistic elements does Jefferson use to write the Declaration of Independence?
Jefferson uses powerful words and parallelism in his descriptions The style is the same in both documents
How does Jefferson feel about Congress's edits?
Jefferson was upset by what he called "mutilations" of his document
Authors have many reasons or purposes for writing. they may write to entertain, inform or persuade. both Benjamin Franklin and Jonathan Edwards wrote about their values, which were deeply rooted in Puritanism. compare and contrast
Jon Edwards wanted people to live virtuously to please God Franklin promoted virtuously as a way to achieve personal success
Why does Paine believe that God will favor the Americans over the British?
Paine believes that God will not favor a corrupt king like the king of England, Paine believes that God does not favor tyranny
Why does Paine say the General Howe is "the greatest enemy that the Tories have?"
Paine blames General Howe for starting the war.
what does Henry believe is the issue at the heart of the debate?
Patrick Henry believes that the issue is that the colonists want to remain free and in order to do that the colonists must fight.
Are the arguments effective without the use of parallel structure? why or why not?
The argument won't be as effective because the writing is less intense
In the third paragraph, how has "the lamp of experience" affected Henry's views about the British?
The colonists can't trust the British based on past experiences.
Which changes seem to have been made to the Declaration of Independence for stylistic reasons, such as brevity and clarity and which changes for political reasons? explain
The deletions dealing with slavery and British were made for political reasons. many changes as substituting "free" for "people who mean to be free" are stylistic changes
what metaphors does Henry use in the fourth paragraph? How do these metaphors contribute to his purpose?
The metaphors of binding chairs and a storm describe how Britain will strip the colonists of their rights and freedom.
what is Paine's main purpose for writing the Crisis?
The purpose is to help people to fight and to continue fighting using emotional appeal to reason with the encourage them in their actions
The declaration of Independence uses loaded words or strong words with emotional overtones, to achieve its purpose. Using the word despotism to suggest that king George is a cruel tyrant is an example of loaded language. what effect does each have on the persuasiveness of the document?
other loaded words or phrases: destructive, abolish, transient, abuse and usurpation, absolute despotism, sufferance, unremitting injuries, absolute tyranny, falsehood: these loaded words make the writing much more persuasive because it gives a sense of urgency and righteousness to its viewpoints
what examples does Henry provide to support his position that compromise with the British is not a workable solution?
petitions have been slighted remonstrated have resulted in increased violence and insults.
why do you believe the revisions were made to this document?
revisions made to a political document to help it gain acceptance can alter the tone of the document (this is Dr. Elom's answer)
What images appear at the beginning of the essay? How do these images relate to the overall purpose?
summer soldier and a sunshine patriot and relates by making war look good and like its a good thing
Many of Poor Richard's aphorisms convey moral lessons. choose one of the aphorisms and restate it in your own words
this is on the test use know one and its meaning
How will the Americans be consoled for their hardship? -Thomas Paine question
triumph, trying to get freedom, joy that victory will compensate the difficult of war
