Question

In this line from Thomas Paine's Rights of Man, what element denotes that it is from the Revolutionary era?

There exists in man a mass of sense lying in a dormant state, and which, unless something excites it to action, will descend with him, in that condition, to the grave.

the mention of the grave

the mention of sense
the persuasion toward action
the mention of excitement

Answer 1

I believe it's is the mention of the grave.

Answer 2

Answer: I would contend that the right answer is the C) the persuasion toward action.

Explanation: Just to elaborate a little bit on the answer, it can be added that a revolution is an uprising or a popular revolt. Therefore, when Paine is very persuasively saying "unless something excites it to action," it is possible to infer that his text is from the Revolutionary period, during which Americans opposed the high taxes that the British imposed on the products they consumed, and, eventually, their control of their land.