Assertion Essay: CHOOSE ONE OF THE TWO PROMPTS, AND PLAN AND
WRITE AN ASSERTION ESSAY IN RESPONSE.
Prompt A:
The following passage is from Rights of Man, a book written by the pamphleteer Thomas Paine in
1791. Born in England, Paine was an intellectual, a revolutionary, and a
supporter of American independence from England.
Read the passage carefully.
Then write an essay that examines the extent to which Paine’s characterization
of America holds true today. Use appropriate evidence to support your argument.
“If there is a country
in the world, where concord, according to common calculation, would be least
expected, it is America. Made up, as it is, of people from different nations,
accustomed to different forms and habits of government, speaking different
languages, and more different in their modes of worship, it would appear that
the union of such a people was impracticable; but by the simple operation of
constructing government on the principles of society and the rights of man,
every difficulty retires, and all the parts are brought into cordial unison.
There, the poor are not oppressed, the rich are not privileged. . . Their taxes are few, because their government
is just; and as there is nothing to render them wretched, there is nothing to
engender riots and tumults.”
Prompt B:
American essayist and social critic H. L. Mencken
(1880–1956) wrote,
"The average man does not want to be free. He simply wants
to be safe.”
In a well-written essay, examine the extent to which Mencken’s
observation applies to contemporary society, supporting your position with
appropriate evidence.
