Ask Your Reading Guide a thoughtful guide for reading Paine, here to help you read Thomas Paine's Common Sense closely — its plain-style argument for American independence, its 1776 context, and its case against monarchy in general.
The Argument Why does Paine insist on distinguishing society from government in the pamphlet's opening pages? What is Paine's case against hereditary succession, and does it apply to monarchy everywhere or just Britain? What concrete plan does Paine propose for American government in 'Thoughts on the Present State of American Affairs'? Why does Paine think 1776 is the 'ripe' moment for American independence?
Context & Legacy How widely was Common Sense actually read and discussed in 1776, and what evidence do we have of its influence? How does Paine's plain prose style compare to the formal political writing of his contemporaries? What does Paine's Appendix add that the original four sections didn't already argue? What in Paine's case against monarchy still gets invoked today, and what feels specific to 1776?