Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Adams vs Paine
In "Appeals to time" by Jimmie Killingsworth, readers are given several examples of political rhetoric. On the other hand, the writing of Paine is used to great affect as well. Many similarities between the writing of Paine, as outlined in Killingsworth's chapter and that of Adams as shown in her letters. Paine achieves his sense of urgency by reminding his readers of the awful sinter that some of his writing takes place in and that affected the revolutionary troops. Adams uses examples of her own hardships such as disease and troubles she faces in management. Each use their writing to improve spirits and give a sense of revival to the readers, even to improve their own spirits. Paine writes to encourage "support for the war effort" from his audience (Killingsworth 42). Adams writes to release stresses to her husband and to hopefully in return receive some comfort since she cannot have her husbands support in person. The ways in which both writers do this bear semblance to one another. Paine spends time with the American troops, in a harsh winter environment. Adams does what she must hoping that "the public will reap what she sacrifices" (Adams 316). The reasons two very different people write help shrink their character differences. Often for survival, it seems that when in dire straits, writing is one of the most helpful ways to keep oneself in control.
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While Paine and Adams are both writing during trying times I do not think their separate quests really interact at all except that they are both trying to help Americans. Paine, like Killingsworth said on page 42, his "exigence is clear: Paine must drum up support for the war effort." While Paine's focus is on the war effort itself. Abigail Adams seems more worried in her writings about the troubles in forming this new American government. Her exigence seems to be more about talking to her husband about her own political and social beliefs in hopes that her pathos and logos based appeals will in some way sway his opinion of the way things should be done in her favor.
ReplyDeleteShe does talk about events like disease, children, and other household related events, but it is usually as a way to hopefully smooth the edges of her husbands temper and give him a little taste of home after she rams him with her own opinions for two pages. Paine is writing directly from the trenches. He is reacting to what he is seeing and trying to drum up support to help the war effort.
So while I believe both Adams and Paine are trying in their own ways to fix the situations they see around them they have very different agendas. I do think Adams misses her husband, but considering how much of the letters she spends telling him what she thinks I think she is more worried about the country than her own comfort. Paine is writing to help in ways he can't fighting. I think they write to influence, and not so much to keep themselves in check.