Character Clues
Character Analysis
Actions
Throughout Common Sense, Thomas Paine refers to many of the actions that separate American patriots from their British oppressors. For starters, Paine refers to the fact that by the time he publishes this pamphlet (1776), the British have sent army troops to crush all American resistance to their rule over North America.
This has resulted in the loss of life and property for many Americans, and has been followed by a set of brutal punishing laws called the "Intolerable Acts" of 1774. But for Paine, inaction is just as much a sign of character as action, and he pulls no punches when criticizing the two-faced cowards who sit on the sidelines and don't join the fight for American independence.
Direct Characterization
Thomas Paine doesn't mind telling it like it is. For him, the British are a bunch of misguided jerks who are bent on pushing their broken political system on the rest of the world. Most of Britain's kings, says Paine, have turned out to be either maniacs or incompetent fools, which also makes fools of everyone who bothers to obey them.
American pacifists, on the other hand, are nothing short of traitors and cowards in Paine's eyes, and he wastes no words in telling us so. It's Paine's way or the highway, folks. No two ways about it.
Location
According to Thomas Paine, it's ridiculous to think that America doesn't have the power to defeat the British on American soil when the British live on a tiny island over 4,000 miles away. How in the world could Britain ever hope to ship troops and supplies across the Atlantic long enough to fight a war with America?
On top of that, America has all the resources it'll ever need to keep pumping out ships and troops until the country has won its independence. So when it comes to winning the American Revolution, it's all about location, location, location.
Social Status
One of Paine's major issues with the British political system is that it gives special status to kings and aristocrats simply because of their birth. In a proper American democracy, Paine wants to see every single leader elected by the people and for the people. He also thinks that every man, regardless of their social class, should have the opportunity to become a political leader—all except for black slaves and Native Americans, that is.
Paine might have had some common sense in him, but he still bought into many of the racist ideas of his time. Oh yeah, and the sexist ones as well.
Thoughts and Opinions
For Paine, everyone is entitled to their thoughts and opinions, especially when it comes to their religious opinions. But if they're going to speak out against the cause of American independence, then they better believe that Paine is going to come after them with everything he's got. He not only rails against every anti-war argument; he also attacks the "type" of person who would make such an argument. At time, Paine is almost a bully in the way he attacks people that have opinions different from his. But people tend to forgive him because he was on the winning side of history.