Rhetorical+Shift

 **Rhetorical Shift**

Rhetorical Shift: A change from one tone, attitude, etc. Look for key words like but, however, even though, although, yet, etc.

There are a few examples of rhetorical shift through out Thomas Paine's work, //The American Crisis//. In the first paragraph of his writing he comes implies that it is Britain's fault that they were in the situation which they were currently in. But later in the second paragraph he says, "However, the fault, if it were one, was all our own*; we have none to blame but ourselves." Here his opinion that England was the one a fault clearly changes at this point in time as he states that he thinks the colonies too, were as much to blame. This shows a clear change in attitude, a rhetorical shift, is occurring.