On Martin Roth's
Though political in nature, Paine's writings present a figure of the American man that would "belong to the fictions of Cooper, Melville, Mark Twain, or Faulkner." The American man that Paine proposes does not yet exist but actually comes about due to the "transformation he [Paine] projects." The reader, consciously or unconsciously, assumes what Paine calls "the true character of man." In order to do this, the reader must attain "clarity of vision" by separating himself from "narrowness, bias, or prejudice." Although this may sound all well and good, Roth points out that "the true character of man" comes a rather high price-- "each of the inalienable rights of the Revolutionary movement has the repudiation of bonds as its primary meaning." In other words, "[t]he right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is the right to remain unattached." Man's freedom is thus total and complete, but at the cost of relationships and personal ties. Finally, even the foundational bonds of......
View the rest of this paper...
Approximate Word Count: 758
Approximate Pages: 4 (250 words per double-spaced page)
Why should you join Frat Files?
- - It's safe, secure, and private.
- - Instant access to over 100,000 papers. New papers are added hourly.
- - Fast and reliable customer support.
Similar Essays
-
On Martin Roth'S
On Martin Roth's. Though political in nature, Paine's writings present a figure
of the American man that would "belong to the fictions ...
Frat Files
Members
Information
