Question

question 1 of 10
read this excerpt from common sense:
wherefore, since nothing but blows will do, for gods sake,
let us come to a final separation, and not leave the next
generation to be cutting throats, under the violated
unmeaning names of parent and child.
which is the most prominent kind of rhetorical appeal thomas paine uses
here?
a. parallelism
b. ethos
c. diction
d. pathos

Explanation:

Pathos is an appeal to emotion. In the excerpt, the mention of "cutting throats" and the idea of not leaving the next generation to such a violent fate under false names like "parent and child" (implying a broken, harmful relationship) is designed to evoke strong emotional responses (fear, concern for future generations) in the reader.
Ethos is an appeal to credibility, which isn't shown here. Parallelism is a structural device (repeating grammatical structures), which isn't the main focus. Diction (word - choice) is part of the overall appeal, but the emotional pull (pathos) is more prominent.

Answer:

D. Pathos