Subject
The general subject in the The Crisis Number 1 that Thomas Paine brings up is the American Colonies gaining freedom from the British.
  • "America will never be happy till she gets clear of foreign dominion"
Another subject mentioned in The Crisis is the tyrannical government that the colonies are forced to abide in.
  • "Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to tax) but to bind us in all cases whatsoever"

Audience
Thomas Paine's The Crisis Number 1 was directed to the people that resided in the thirteen colonies. He wanted to reach people of every racial group and social class to follow his advice and assert their rights to freedom and political independence from Britain.
  • "It matters not where you live, or what rank of life you hold, the evil or the blessing will reach you all"

Speaker

The speaker in The Crisis Number 1 is Thomas Paine. It is evident that he is narrating The Crisis Number 1 from a first person point of view because he includes his personal emotions regarding his life experiences.
  • "I once felt all that kind of anger, which a man ought to feel, against the mean principles that are held by the Tories"

Details

The Crisis Number 1 includes a sufficient amount of evidence regarding the reasons behind the colonists frustration towards British rule. Throughout the text, the reader is shown many examples of situations in which the British government behaved tyrannically.
  • "Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to tax) but to bind us in all cases whatsoever"
However, Thomas Paine fails to mention the benefits that came with british rule, in fear that it might diminish the impact of his writing.
  • Protection from foreign threats

Hyperbole

"This reflection, well applied is sufficient to waken every man on duty"
  • This is an example of hyperbole because it exaggerates the idea that all men should be motivated to take action. It is an overstatement to say that every single man on duty could fight for independence.