Rhetorical Analysis Of Benjamin Franklin's Letter To Thomas Paine

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Astounding inventor and founding father of America, Benjamin Franklin writes a letter to Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense, about the existence of God. Paine is strongly against the thought of a provincial God and Franklin is straight up telling him that his opinion won’t be popular, based on the large amount of religious people who would riot against him. Paine sent a manuscript of the advocation of the providential God to Franklin for advice and suggestions because he has had complications with his political writings. But this particular piece of his writing, will not be as admired as some of his other famous works. Paine is known as a sophisticated man of society, so Franklin does not try to sway his opinion with emotions but rather logical points. This appeals to Franklin’s intended audience, which is Paine, by showing he knows how to talk to his audience in a specific way to catch his attention. Franklin describes how Paine’s manuscript “strikes at the foundations of religion” by his perspective on …show more content…

This is because Paine has a very unpopular opinion that could get him hurt if anyone found out about it. Franklin says, “not to attempt unchaining the tiger, but to burn this piece before it is seen by any other person”. He compares society to a tiger because they could attack him for such a thought of not believing in God. Franklin even goes so far to mock Paine’s ignorance on the subject on God and how he doesn’t exist when Paine isn’t able to prove it. He discusses how Paine pointed out in his argument that men with God are wicked, but Franklin responds with, “If men are so wicked with religion, what would they be if without it?”. This statement contradicts Paine’s point by showing that people without God are not higher than people of society who believe in God. He could also mean that since no one has proof of whether or not God does exist, then why tell someone he

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