Rattlesnakes for Felons- Benjamin Franklin?

Question

I'm not trying to cheat or anything, but for my AP class I'm supposed to write about Franklin's proposal and how he displays his opinion regarding the issue.
- I just dont know how to put all my statements together; I have all the rhet. devices he used.
such as understatement, verbal irony, analogy, and allusion.
- I am having a hard time with my thesis and how these devices connect to it.

I just want some advice, I'm so overwhelmed, I don't know where to begin, I have a problem with not going in to detail.

Thanks for any help

http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=4&page=130a

Answer 1

So, what does old Ben think about the issue? And what _is_ the issue anyway? (And may I say here that I'd be proud to write such a lovely, biting (and I mean that in its punniest sense) letter to the editor..) What's Ben saying here? What's he all ticked off about, and how does he go about putting it into terms that anybody can understand? Who is he really addressing? I wouldn't worry too much about the details yet - start by saying what you think Ben's saying. Then start showing how he makes his points - what's this whole rattlesnake thing about, anyway? Lay it out any old way, and then start putting it in order - rewrite, re-arrange, reorganize and I bet before you know it you'll have a very nice paper.
Also, I'm not sure I agree with redunicorn there - I read it rather differently, but you should get your own meaning out of it.

Answer 2

Since many Americans were "dumped here" by England as either religious nut cases or criminals Franklin sees all Americans as felons. (Remember back then any one that was poor was a criminal)

He is also calling those English people that came here to spy on Americans and collect taxes as REAL vipers rather than mischievious American rattle snakes.