Question

a student is writing a comparison of franklin’s and paine’s writing styles. the following sentence represents a draft of the student’s writing.

the passage highlights franklin’s use of humor and simple wisdom in poor richard’s almanac, and paine’s strong use of compare and contrast in common sense.

which of the following statements would best expand this comparison by adding meaningful details about how franklin’s and paine’s writing styles targeted different audiences?

a franklin’s style was humorous and practical, while paine’s lacked emotion.

b paine wrote about independence, but franklin wrote about success and self - improvement that encouraged colonists to set individual goals.

c both franklin and paine were political writers who influenced the revolution that everyone enjoyed.

d franklin’s wit appealed to farmers and tradesmen, while paine’s use of biblical allusions appealed to his religious audience.

(excerpt from the 18th century in american literature)

1 the approach of the american revolution emphasized differences that had been growing between american and british political concepts. as the colonists, roused to the belief that rebellion was inevitable, fought the bitter war, and worked to found the new nation’s government, they were influenced by a number of very effective political writers, such as samuel adams and john dickinson, both of whom favored the colonists, and loyalist joseph galloway, but two figures loomed above these—benjamin franklin and thomas paine.

2 franklin, born in 1706, had started to publish his writings in his brother’s newspaper, the new england courant, as early as 1722. this newspaper championed the cause of the “leather apron” man and the farmer and appealed by using easily understood language and practical arguments. the idea that common sense was a good guide was clear in...

(image: poor richard’s almanack 1733)

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: Claims Paine’s style lacked emotion, which is incorrect as Paine’s writing (e.g., Common Sense) is passionate.
• Option B: Discusses topics (success/self - improvement vs. independence) but not audience targeting.
• Option C: “Everyone enjoyed” is vague and doesn’t address audience differences.
• Option D: Clearly states Franklin’s wit appealed to farmers/tradesmen and Paine’s biblical allusions to religious audiences, directly addressing how their styles targeted different audiences.

Answer:

D. Franklin's wit appealed to farmers and tradesmen, while Paine's use of biblical allusions appealed to his religious audience.