Question

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 1

The excerpt is from Thomas Paine's The American Crisis pamphlet series which was active during American Revolution. The purpose of the writings were to attract colonists to support the war against Great Britain. Therefore, the repetition shows that the readers have a personal interest in America's success in the war.

Answer 2

The answer is "It reminds readers that they each have a personal interest in America’s success in the war."