Ben Franklin 2
Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography is broken up into four integral parts, all written during different periods in Franklin's life. The first part, addressed to his son, William, was written when Franklin was sixty-five years old. Before he began the task of recording his past, Franklin carefully wrote out a list of topics he would narrate to his readers. Eleven years later, this list somehow fell into the hands of Abel James who urged Franklin to finish writing his memoirs. In 1782, Franklin completed the second part of his autobiography in France where he served as a peace commissioner, and in 1788, Franklin composed the longest part of his autobiography at the age of eighty-three. The tangled history of how Franklin's autobiography became to be is interesting in itself. It shows Franklin's motives behind writing his autobiography. When Abel James wrote "kind, humane, and benevolent" Franklin to finish his life story, he told Franklin that his autobiography "would be useful and entertaining not only to a few but to millions (55)." Franklin wrote to his friend and confidant, Vaughan, for advice. Vaughan agreed with James and also urged Franklin to print the history of his life because he could think of no "more efficacious adve
In order for a man to reach a level of success, Franklin advises him to be well rounded with knowledge in many different subjects. The American citizen should be informed not only with the happenings before his eyes, but also the current events in the world. In his autobiography, Franklin portrays himself to be a man of inquiry. He creates a convincing image of a self-educated and curious man. On almost every page, we see some evidence of Franklin's willingness to learn. He reveals his expertise on a vast range of topics, from the science of electricity and speed of merchant ships, to street lights and Romantic languages. A wise man is one who hungers to learn new things. A man of merit is forgiving of other's shortcomings. Relationships, particularly those involving Franklin's father, brother, and governor Keith, show Franklin as a person who is able to move on when he is disappointed and hurt by others. His father had no confidence in Franklin's abilities and refused to support him in his ambitious endeavors to be a poet, swimmer, and printer. His brother, James, is described as being "harsh and tyrannical" towards young Franklin. And Franklin does not condemn the governor Keith "for playing such pitiful tricks, and imposing so grossly on a poor ignorant boy (46)." Instead, Franklin expresses no bitterness, or resentment; he is able to look back at these unpleasant moments in his life with forgiveness and understanding. He is also thankful for all the valuable lessons that he had learned thorough these seemingly difficult periods in his life. He cherishes every moment of his existence, embracing the bad as well as the good that comes his way. If one wanted to sit with kings, Franklin advised that one should help them see one's merit. There were a number of "rich merchants, nobility, states, and princes" who were in need of honest people to manage their affairs, and there were "no qualities so likely to make a poor man's fortune as those of probity and integrity (34)." Early on in his career, Franklin learned that his impeccable appearance and reputation were good for business. He was successful in fulfilling the image that his public wanted him to play. Following James' and Vaughan's letters, Franklin wrote about some important aspects of creating oneself: the image that one wanted portrays, how to appear generous and humble, keeping informed and educated, giving time and energy to public causes and the thirteen rules to live a virtuous life. Here, in one neat package, Franklin constructed a prescription that went into making a self-made man. In the land of opportunity and democracy, Franklin made a name for himself, and his autobiography reveals how one goes about following his footsteps and making a success of one's self. Franklin is sometimes called the "the wisest American." Blessed with talents and ambition, Franklin was a statesman, author, and inventor in his time. Conscious of his celebrity status and popularity, he was able to create his own character. Having lived the American Dream, he wrote his autobiography for the public as a guideline to reach moral and
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Approximate Word count = 2102
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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