Benjamin Franklin

A detailed Summary of Benjamin Franklin

Franklin's contributions to the creation of an American national identity is perhaps the most important theme that need to be emphasized. We can note the shift in the American consciousness from an "otherwordly to a this-wordly" viewpoint. Franklin's abandonment of Puritanism in favor of the Enlightenment's rationalism reflects a central shift in American society throughout the eighteenth century. His works reflect the growing awareness of America as a country with values and interests distinct from those of England. Franklin expresses his deep concern for creating an American character / consciousness in his work with the hope to help all those who read it prosper and ultimately show the that what we deem as the "American Dream" is quite attainable. His autobiography is a work in which he not only presents the reader with a summation of his life and his adventures, but a book that also tells us what he feels some of the most important traits of the American self should perhaps be. In the following paper we examine what these traits appear to be, and then discuss their validity.

As Franklin begins his autobiography we note that he is of the lower class. His father is a simple tallow chandler and for a short time Franklin f

As we continue to witness Franklin's "rags to riches" life story we come across many qualities that are extremely important and contribute in part to his huge success. First, no matter what the adversity, which he faces, be it his brother or the fact that Governor Keith never comes through on his promise, Franklin always keeps the faith and doesn't let these set backs keep him down. He contiuously rises above them. No even the death of his good friend Denham and the fact that the women he cared about Mrs Read, got married to a potter, kept him from continuing his legacy. He wants to show this in his works because it is an extremely important quality. It shows us that as long as we don't quit we can accomplish anything.

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Approximate Word count = 1122
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: People

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Benjamin Franklin

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