Question

The more men have to lose, the less willing are they to venture.What rhetorical strategy is Thomas Paine most clearly using in this line? A.Credibility B.Parallelism C.Personification D.Ethos

Answer 1

The more and less words present what we call parallelism. They go side by side in their descriptions. 

The other notes: Credibility is a proof text. Personification is making something that is not human have human qualities. And Ethos is an appeal to ethics.

Answer 2

Answer: B. Parallelism.

Explanation: parallelism is a literary device that consists in the repetition of a grammatical structure of words or phrases in order to maintain the symmetry in the text and to produce a more strong effect. The given line is a clear example of parallelism because of the use of similar grammatical structures in both parts of the sentence "The more men have to lose" and "the less willing are they to venture."