American Roots: From Native Traditions to the American Revolution — Test
Question 19 • American Literature and Composition
Read the excerpt from The Crisis, Number IV . Howe is now weaker than before, and every shot will contribute to reduce him. You are more immediately interested than any other part of the continent: your all is at stake; it is not so with the general cause; you are devoted by the enemy to plunder and destruction: it is the encouragement which Howe, the chief of plunderers, has promised his army. Why is the repetition of “you” in this sentence an effective rhetorical technique?
Answer
A
It evokes a sense of panic because the British are advancing on American interests.
B
It reminds readers that colonists who oppose American independence will be held personally responsible if the colonists lose.
C
It reminds readers that they each have a personal interest in America’s success in the war.
D
It evokes a sense of guilt in readers that they have not been giving enough to the American war effort.
Explanation
Repeating “you” addresses readers directly and emphasizes that the consequences of the war affect them personally. Paine contrasts their immediate stake with “the general cause,” then warns that their property and security are threatened. This makes the choice “it reminds readers that they each have a personal interest in America’s success in the war” the best answer.
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