Red Jacket and Franklin

What arguments do they make in common?

Instructions:-

Writing assigment, minimum of 250 words. APA Format

book the norton anthology, american literature shorter eight edition

1. Franklin and Red Jacket both support and defend the Native Americans. What arguments do they make in common? What prompted the writing of each piece? Do you find both authors reliable? Why or why not?

pg 229-231 and 234-247

2. Thomas Paine’s Common Sense is an argumentative essay. What argument is Paine making? How does he structure his argument? What do YOU think is his most persuasive point and why?

Solution

What Arguments do they make in Common? Essay.

1. Franklin and Red Jacket both supported and defended the Native Americans. What arguments do they make in common? What prompted the writing of each piece? Do you find both authors reliable? Why or why not?

I believe both, Red Jacket and Benjamin Franklin had very strong points when it came to defend the Native Americans. Red Jacket was very cordial and polite, meanwhile, Benjamin Franklin was using sarcasm, just by the simple fact that he emphasized misconceptions by calling the Native Americans “Savages”. My favorite and best part of Red Jacket’s Speech was when he points out that Native Americans took pity on the white people and helped them out when they first came to America. In his speech he said, “They gave them food when hungry, medicine when sick, spread skins for them to sleep on, and they gave them grounds, that they might hunt and raise corn”. (Baym et al 2013, p.232) The Native Americans were no more than just simply polite and fair human beings. As followed by the next sentence said by Red Jacket, “Brothers, the white people are like poisonous serpents”, (Baym et al,2013, p.232) by that being said, the white people just got what they wanted when they needed it, and when they stood on their feet, they were quick to judge and mistreat the Native Americans. Benjamin Franklin’s essay was very convincing as well. He points out that just because the native Americans carried their selves different or had different manners from the whites, didn’t make them savages. As quoted from his essay, “Savages we call them, because their manners differ from ours, which we think the perfection of civility; they think the same of theirs”. (Baym et al,2013, p.244) With all said, I believe both authors are reliable because they provide convincing and persuasive points to their audience.

• Thomas Paine’s common sense is an argumentative essay. What argument is Paine making? How does he structure his argument? What do YOU think is his most persuasive point and why? Note: You MUST include the exact quote that you find the most persuasive.

Thomas Paine makes a lot of arguments in this essay. The main argument that caught my attention would be, us Americans being independent from England. The way Paine structured this argument was simply with strong, argumentative and persuasive evidence. For example, as he quoted “Everything that is right or reasonable pleads for separation. The blood of the slain, the weeping voices of nature cries, “Tis time to part.”.” (Baym et al, 2013, p. 328). The quote was backed up by an argument that he stated in his essay, whenever England goes to war with any foreign power, the American trade goes to ruin because of the connection with Britain. In other words, Americans had to suffer for England’s action, so instead Paine’s argument was advising us or “opening our eyes” as we would say, so we don’t see ourselves in more debt in the future. So as Americans, we would need to be independent from England. I believe this was his most persuasive point for many intellectual reasons. In my perspective, America and like any other country, the main concern or worry is always the economy. By Paine pointing out a way our American economy can have a possibility to get better, was very conspicuous and attention catching to his crowd. So why not argue that point in why us Americans should cut ties with England? To be better and progress in our future. In my opinion, Paine was a very wise and strong individual to stand up and put up such an important argument for us Americans.

References

Franklin B. (2013) Remarks Concerning the savages of North America. In N. Baym, W. Franklin, P.F. Gura, J. Klinkowitz, A. Krupat, R.S Levine…P.B.

Wallace (Eds.), The Norton anthology of American literature (Shorter 8^th ed.) (pp. 244-247) New York, NY: Norton. (Original work published 1784)