Question 3 • AL-English Language Arts 11 Critical Standards
Read the excerpt from The Crisis, Number I."Not all the treasures of the world, so far as I believe, could have induced me to support an offensive war, for I think it murder; but if a thief breaks into my house, burns and destroys my property, and kills or threatens to kill me or those that are in it and to 'bind me in all cases whatsoever' to his absolute will, am I to suffer it?"In this excerpt, Paine is attempting to convince readers that they
Answer
A
must support the war to protect their financial interests.
B
could potentially benefit from the spoils of the war.
C
will blame themselves for not supporting the war.
D
have righteous reasons to justify supporting the war.
Explanation
Paine says he would not support an offensive war, which he considers murder. But he compares the situation to a thief attacking someone’s home and threatening their family, arguing that people have a right to defend themselves against such harm. This supports the idea that readers have righteous reasons to support the war, not merely financial interests or hope of spoils.
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