19. NancyO: Share a story about a day in the life of your dream job.

I have no qualms about admitting that my ideal job would involve writing and directing a screenplay about Thomas Paine.

For those familiar with my previous writings, you might know that I dedicated several exhausting years to authoring a book on Paine’s Rights of Man. You may be wondering: Am I a masochist?

Not at all—I genuinely find joy in exploring Paine’s story, and I believe others will too!

If you’re not well-versed in American history, or if it's been a while since your last class, let me refresh your memory: Thomas Paine was an Englishman who landed in America in November 1774 after facing bankruptcy and a failed marriage. Armed with little more than a trunk and a recommendation letter from Benjamin Franklin, who described him as an “ingenious worthy young man,” he quickly ignited a passion for independence with his pamphlet, Common Sense, the first to openly call for American freedom.

Paine’s life was a thrilling saga, filled with conflicts, daring escapes, and a peculiar legacy. You could say he was the original “Thomas who could!”

Born in 1737 to a Quaker family, he was initially named “Pain.” At 13, he was taken out of school to help his father, a corset maker. Bored with the mundane task of sewing, he attempted to join a privateer ship captained by someone ominously named Captain Death. Just as he was about to sign up, his father intervened, preventing him from embarking on a doomed voyage. Can you picture this dramatic moment in a film—Captain Death lurking menacingly in the background? It was fortuitous that Paine’s father acted, as the ship met a tragic end.

Two years later, he tried to start a corset business in London but was soon swept away on another privateer adventure, this time with a happier outcome. With newfound wealth, Paine attended lectures by prominent scientists and eventually married Mary Lambert. However, their marriage ended tragically when she died during childbirth, a scene ripe for cinematic portrayal.

After a stint as an excise officer in Lewes, Paine became a notable member of the Headstrong Club and was eventually prompted to petition Parliament for better wages. He took a leave to distribute pamphlets in London, but his grocery business with his wife failed, leading to their separation. Thus, he set sail for America, where he struggled for survival upon arrival, taking six weeks to recover from his ordeal. Perhaps weary of his hardships, he added an “e” to his name.

After the success of Common Sense, which he donated entirely to the Continental Army, Paine picked up a musket and joined their ranks. The despairing losses faced by General Washington's troops inspired him to write American Crisis, a stirring piece meant to rally the demoralized soldiers. It opens with the now-famous lines:

THESE are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.

To ensure its publication in Philadelphia, Paine undertook a perilous journey from Trenton on a cold December night, evading British detection. This suspenseful moment would be perfect for a film scene, with Paine dodging behind trees as British soldiers pass by.

A few years later, he served as secretary for the committee of foreign affairs. When he uncovered money laundering by Silas Deane, he bravely spoke out, only to be ambushed by Deane's associates. Imagine the tension of this altercation in a cinematic fight scene!

Paine was then tasked with accompanying Henry Laurens to Paris to seek arms from Louis XVI. During their voyage, the ship was intercepted by a British privateer, leading to yet another sword fight—a thrilling sequence for any film.

In 1782, following the American victory, Paine was awarded confiscated Loyalist property in New Rochelle, New York. Taking a break from politics, he focused on designing a single-span iron bridge, though he struggled to secure funding. His friend Benjamin Franklin wrote letters of introduction to influential figures in Paris to aid his efforts.

As he encountered challenges in funding his bridge, Paine became increasingly captivated by the political upheaval in France. The Fall of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, piqued his interest, especially after his acquaintance Edmund Burke criticized the French Revolution in his Reflections on the Revolution in France. In response, Paine published Rights of Man, a passionate defense of the revolution that quickly became an international sensation. In this work, he denounced hereditary governance, envisioned welfare systems, and proposed early concepts of Social Security—quite forward-thinking for his time.

The widespread acclaim of Rights of Man alarmed the ruling elite, prompting them to denounce Paine's work and incite public outrage against him. The aristocracy encouraged the populace to burn his effigies while providing food and drinks to fuel the fervor—a classic example of early astroturfing.

Eventually, the Prime Minister charged Paine with seditious libel, scheduling a trial for December. However, fearing that he might become a martyr, authorities sought to expel him from Britain. The poet William Blake warned Paine of impending danger, leading him to flee to France, where he had recently been elected to the National Assembly.

His escape was fraught with danger; authorities pursued him to the coast, seizing his documents but allowing him to board a ship for France. As he departed, he was pelted with stones by those incited against him—imagine the dramatic chase and chaos in a film!

Once in revolutionary France, however, Paine faced new challenges. He advocated for the banishment rather than execution of Louis XVI, but was outvoted just before Robespierre imprisoned those who opposed him.

Paine’s escape from a death sentence was miraculous. After suffering from a coma, his cellmates opened the door to air out the room, inadvertently allowing him to evade the guards marking those to be executed. This dramatic twist would provide edge-of-your-seat suspense in any film.

Eventually, James Monroe, who would later become president, rescued Paine from prison. The following years were relatively quiet, allowing him to complete Age of Reason, a work that would ultimately tarnish his reputation during the Second Great Awakening. Old allies like Benjamin Rush and Sam Adams distanced themselves from him, and even Thomas Jefferson, who had facilitated Paine’s return to the U.S., kept his distance despite their cordial interactions.

Upon his return, Paine faced hostility; people spat on him and threw stones. Carriage drivers refused to transport him, fearing divine retribution. In New Rochelle, he was denied voting rights as judges disputed his citizenship despite his nationalization. When he passed away on June 8, 1809, only six mourners attended his funeral, a stark contrast to the grand send-offs of Franklin, Adams, and Jefferson.

A decade later, William Cobbett, a former adversary turned admirer, exhumed Paine’s remains to reinter them in England, believing he deserved better recognition than what he received in America.

This story is ripe for cinematic exploration—I am eager to bring it to life, despite others having tried and failed! Paine was not only a revolutionary icon and visionary advocate for the abolition of slavery, but he also put his beliefs into action, suffering greatly for his convictions. He truly embodies the spirit of a Modern Prometheus, deserving of an extensive film treatment.

©?Frances A. Chiu, August 19, 2023. All rights reserved.