Autobiography Of Benjamin Franklin, The - Sparknotes 5j5u3f

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Context Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He is often thought of as the revolutionary figure who led protests against the Stamp Act, helped draft the Declaration of Independence, coordinated the peace treaty ending the American Revolution, and co-wrote and signed the U.S. Constitution It is ironic, however, that Franklin is ed more as the civic figure--the man on the $100 bill--than as the man who invented the stove or the man who formulated his own theories about lightning and electricity. The irony stems from the fact that Franklin often thought of himself as more of a scientist than a political thinker. This selfidentification comes through in the Autobiography, which does not discuss the Revolution in any capacity and hardly even refers to events after 1757. Indeed, in the Autobiography, we get a full picture of Franklin as the Renaissance scholar, fascinated by all types of learning and interested in doing whatever he could to make life a little bit better for mankind, based on the notion that the way to please God was by doing good to other men. This interest manifested itself in public service and scientific progress. The publication of the Autobiography is an interesting story unto itself. Franklin actually stated several times that he did not wish the work to be made totally public. However, based on the number of manuscripts sent out to his various friends before his death, it is very difficult to believe that Franklin died believing that the general public would never see his work, which he never had the chance to revise. Some parts of the Autobiography were printed as early as a month after Franklin's death. The following year, 1791, Part One was released in French, and two years later, it was retranslated back into English by an anonymous author. In 1818, 28 years after Franklin's death, his grandson released an edition containing Parts One, Two and Three (this was the first publication of Part Three). It was not until the John Bigelow edition of 1868 that all four parts of the Autobiography appeared in English. The 20th century saw three major editions of the Autobiography, each one more accurate and complete than its predecessor. The most recent edition, and the one generally accepted as authoritative, was edited by Leo Lemay and P.M. Zall and released in 1981. (Lemay and Zall also wrote a comprehensive study of the publication history of the Autobiography which is only excerped here.) There are a number of "firsts" associated with the Autobiography. It is considered the first popular self-help book ever published. It was the first and only work written in American before the 19th century that has retained bestseller popularity since its release. It was the first major secular American autobiography. It is also the first real of the American Dream in action as told from a man who experienced it firsthand. This form would be copied numerous times throughout American history, most notably by such writers as Horatio Alger. Nevertheless, despite its groundbreaking accomplishments, the Autobiography has been attacked by numerous critics throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The most notable of these attacks was delivered by D.H. Lawrence in 1923, who accused Franklin of being lost in his own quirky optimism; Lawrence argues that Franklin should have concerned himself with the darker aspects of humanity. Lawrence even proposed an alternate list of the 13 virtues as a means of both parodying and criticizing Franklin. The German sociologist Max Weber also condemned

Franklin's work on sociological grounds as being blindly capitalistic. In modern times, many critics have found fault with Franklin's arrogance versus his commitment to humility. Nevertheless, the Autobiography remains an important look into the history and sociology of 18th century America. Franklin in many ways embodies the Enlightenment spirit, and may even be thought of as the first prototypical "American."

Summary Born 1706 in Boston, Benjamin Franklin was the 15th of his father's 17 children. He went to school as a child with the intent of becoming a minister, as his father, Josiah, intended. However, that idea was dropped after Franklin showed a keen interest in reading and writing. He was apprenticed to his brother, James at a young age, but after fighting with his brother he quit the job and moved to Philadelphia, where he worked for a man named Samuel Keimer. After befriending some prominent political figures, including the royal Governor, Franklin left for England, where he spent 18 months working for a printer with his friend James Ralph, with whom he later became estranged. Shortly after returning to America in 1726, Franklin formed a debating club called the Junto. Two years later, he took over The Pennsylvania Gazette from Keimer and turned it into a successful publication with tools from London. In 1730, Franklin wed his old sweetheart, Deborah Read, with whom he had two children. The first, William Franklin, was born approximately one year later; he is the man to whom the Autobiography is addressed in Part One. Throughout the 1730s, Franklin held some minor positions doing printing work for the government. In that time, he began Poor Richard's Almanac and became postmaster of Philadelphia. Towards the end of the decade, he invented the Franklin stove. In the 1740s, Franklin worked on several projects, including the fire brigade, the police force, the University of Pennsylvania, the street sweeping service and some other smaller public works projects. He retired from the printing business in 1748 and began to conduct scientific experiments in lightning. In 1753, he was awarded honorary degrees from Harvard and Yale, and he became Postmaster General of America. The following year, when war broke out between England and (the French and Indian War Franklin began to draft proposals outlining means by which funds could be raised for colonial defense. He succeeded in many of his proposals, and he personally played a large part in organizing the war effort. The Autobiography, however, breaks off in 1757; it is left unfinished. The Autobiography itself was written in three different times: 1771 in England, 1783-83 in , and 1788 in America. If Franklin meant to complete it, he died before he got the chance.

Characters Benjamin Franklin - The author and protagonist of the Autobiography; he writes the work ostensibly to tell his son about his life and to provide a model of self-betterment for anyone interested. Born into a modest Boston family, Franklin moved to Philadelphia in his late teens and eventually opened up his own newspaper, The Pennsylvania Gazette. The Autobiography tells of the major events of his life and many of his important scientific and political ideas, but the work does not discuss the American Revolution, in which Franklin was a major participant. William Franklin - Benjamin's son and royal governor of New Jersey in 1771 when Ben begins writing the work. Ben begins the Autobiography as a letter to William with the intent of telling him about his life. Parents - Ben's parents were named Josiah and Abiah. Abiah is mentioned very little. Josiah's second wife, she mothered ten children with him. Ben was the eighth of these children. Josiah took a large interest in Benjamin, teaching how to debate and how to write effectively. Ben respected him enormously. After both parents died, Ben had them buried and erected a monument to them in a prominent Boston cemetery. James Franklin - Franklin older brother who owns a printing house in Boston. Ben is apprenticed to James when Ben is 12, and while they do not always get along very well, Ben learns much from James and proves to be quite helpful. When James is arrested for holding subversive political ideas, Ben takes over the paper until James' release. When Ben breaks his contract and leaves for Philadelphia, James grows angry and spiteful. John Collins - A "bookish lad" whom Ben befriends in Boston. They two practice their debating skills in Boston. John resolves to go to Philadelphia with Ben several years later, but his plans evaporate when he becomes an alcoholic and ends up moving to the Caribbean. Ben loans him a large amount of money which Collins never repays. Andrew Bradford - A printer in Philadelphia, he is unable to hire Franklin but he does allow Franklin to stay in his house. Later on, when Franklin runs his own paper, the two are competitors until Bradford leaves the printing industry. Samuel Keimer - The printer in Philadelphia for whom Franklin works. Their relationship deteriorates over time, and eventually they have a falling out. Keimer, however, tries to make amends when he realizes that Ben can supply him with important printing tools. John Read - A resident of Philadelphia, he houses Franklin shortly after Franklin arrives in Philadelphia. Deborah Read - The daughter of John Read, she eventually marries Franklin even though their courtship is interrupted by his 18-month trip to England, during which time she marries another man who disappears--thus allowing her marriage to Franklin. Gov. William Keith - The royal Governor of Pennsylvania when Franklin arrives in Philadelphia. Keith is impressed by Franklin and resolves to help him, but in effect does very little. He is a man who does not often follow through on what he says he will do. James Ralph - A local Philadelphia poet whom Franklin befriends and with whom Franklin travels to England. Franklin tells a story of a time when Ralph, who was often disliked and thus overly criticized by his friends in the realm of poetry, asked Franklin to read one of Ralph's poems as Franklin's own, which Franklin did to very high praise. Ralph traveled with Franklin to England, where he leeched off Franklin most of the time and borrowed large sums of money that he never repaid. Franklin and Ralph ended up going separate ways when Franklin hits on

Ralph's girlfriend and is rejected. Mr. Denham - A friendly Quaker whom Franklin meets on his way to England. They remain friends while in England, and it is Denham who eventually convinces Franklin to return to America after an 18-month stay. Franklin works for Denham for a short time in a goods store upon his return. Meredith - The man with whom Franklin begins a new printing house after leaving Keimer. Meredith, however, does not work very hard, and eventually leaves.

Part One, first section Summary The Autobiography opens with a salutation to Ben Franklin son, William Franklin who at the time was the royal governor of New Jersey. Franklin is writing in the summer of 1771 on vacation in a small town about 50 miles south of London. Franklin says that because his son may wish to know about his life, he is taking his one week vacation in the English countryside to record his past. Franklin says that he has enjoyed his life and would like to repeat it, although he would like to correct some small errors if the opportunity arose. But since Franklin cannot repeat life, he can instead recollect it. He thanks God for allowing him to live a good life. Franklin recounts some of his family's ancestry. He has been the youngest son of a youngest son for five generations, although Franklin does have two younger sisters. He tells of his grandfather and uncles, and he includes some poetry from his well respected uncle Benjamin, the man after whom he was named. The Franklins have always been an active clan; they were involved very early on in the Reformation in Europe, for instance. Ben then discusses his parents. His father, Josiah Franklin, moved from England to America in 1682 with his wife and three children. He had four more children with that wife, and ten more children with Abiah, whom Josiah married after his first wife died. Ben himself, the 15th of 17 children, was born in Boston on January 17, 1706. Most of Benjamin's brothers became apprentices in various trades, as was the custom in the 18th century. Ben, however, was put into grammar school with the intent that he would later go into the church. He quickly rose to the head of his class, and before long he was sent to a different grammar school to develop his writing and math skills. Although he failed at math, he was very good at writing. However, at age ten he was taken from school and put to work with his father, a candle and soap maker. Around this time, Ben, being interested in the sea but prohibited from becoming a sailor by his parents, once convinced his young friends to build a wharf from some stolen stones from a quarry. He was caught and punished so as to be taught that dishonesty is never useful. Ben writes that he ired his father, who he deems was of "sound understanding and solid judgment" and generally respected in town. Josiah taught Ben the crucial skill of debate, which would forever more come in handy. As a tribute to his parents, Ben had them buried in a prominent Boston graveyard near Boston Common (Paul Revere, John Hancock and Sam Adams are some of the others buried there), and he erected a monument to them which stands as the central feature in the cemetery today. However, Ben disliked his father's trade making candles, so Josiah set out to find him a new line of work. After pas cutlery, Josiah noticed that Ben was particularly bookish, and so he put Ben to work for his brother James a printer. Ben, at the age of 12, signed a contract to work for James for the next eight years. This line of work allowed Ben to read even more. He notes that he enjoyed particularly Bunyan, Mather and Daniel Defoe. He borrowed many books from a local bookseller, and developed his own writing skills by imitating the style used by the

professional authors. Around the same time, he notes that he befriended a "bookish lad" named John Collins, with whom he honed his debate skills via letters. Josiah, meanwhile, helped advise Ben in his writing form. He acquired a copy of the British newspaper The Spectator and imitated its style, soon leaning "method in the arrangement of thoughts." Commentary The opening part of the Autobiography addresses some themes that will come up later on in the book, namely, self-betterment and religion. Franklin's tone at the beginning of the book is humble and indicative of a belief in utilitarianism. He claims to write only so that his own life may be an example for his son of how one can live well and how one can get through hardships. Franklin's book, a story of self-betterment, is written so as to be a model for the betterment of others. This general motive for writing, as well as Franklin's mention of correcting some errors were he to relive his life, both indicate Franklin's constant interest in self-improvement. This is perhaps the largest theme in the Autobiography; it dominates Part Two and recurs often in Part One. Also notice that Franklin thanks God for helping him to lead a good life. Franklin does not often show a religious side, and he will explain in greater depth later on that he is a Deist, or one who believes in a usually non-interventionist God without ascribing to any particular religious denomination. We are perhaps to believe that Franklin assumes either a false humility at the beginning of the book or that he grew in faith in his later years. Later on in the section, we will see a manifestation of Ben's determination in his desire to better his writing and debate skills. Ben shows signs of a keen intellect from an early age as evidenced by the diligence with which he copies sections from the Spectator and other works with the intent of learning how to write himself. He also shows an interest in constantly checking himself to make sure that he is improving, and he does this by seeking the help of his kind father. This pattern of self-improvement comes up many times later on in the book, and we will see it more formalized in Part Two. From a historical standpoint, it is important to note Franklin's beginnings. He was the last son of a huge family. The Franklins were by no means aristocrats; in fact, it is apparent that the family was of relatively humble means because all the sons went to work at very early ages. Nevertheless, Franklin was instilled as a youth with a strong work ethic. We are going to later see Franklin rise up from his humble origins to a man of great social standing and wealth. In this sense, Franklin is often seen as the prototypical American and the first real example of the classic American Dream in action. Notice how Franklin carefully draws out throughout the book how he rose up with help primarily from hard work and skills. This part of the Autobiography is particularly interesting to historians and sociologists interested in the economic stratification of pre- Revolutionary New England, but it is also interesting from a literary standpoint because Ben Franklin is essentially creating the legend of the American Dream. We also see in this opening section Franklin's sense of humor. He mentions that he was the tenth son born to his father, and his father tried to set him on a life towards the clergy as a means of a "tithe." Franklin is humorously referring to the religious practice of giving one-

tenth of one's earnings to the church each year. He jokingly suggests that Josiah ascribed to that same tradition in of children rather than money. This tongue-in-cheek humor comes up repeatedly throughout the Autobiography, and it is usually presented in a subtle fashion. For instance, Franklin jokingly discusses at the end of Part Two that he had become so humble that he ended up being proud of his humility. Before that, he jokingly asserts that he reached the conclusion early in life that he could perfect himself. Many comments such as this are not meant to be taken seriously. Franklin has a wry, lightly sarcastic humor applied throughout his work.

Part One, second section Summary Throughout his teens, Franklin developed a number of new ideas, including vegetarianism, which he practices religiously for a brief period. He also adopted a skepticism towards religion through his readings. When others complained of his arrogance, he made efforts to become more humble, speaking "with seeming diffidence." In 1720, James started the New England Courant, which according to Franklin is the second newspaper in America. Franklin worked as a delivery boy. Meanwhile, he worked hard at writing. When he published anonymously one of his articles and ov erheard his brother praising it (not knowing Ben had written it), Ben developed much confidence in his style. However, he and James did fight often over trifling matters. When James was jailed for political reasons, Ben had the chance to take over the p aper briefly, a job which Ben held in name even after James was released under the stipulation that he could no longer work on the paper. After another fight with James, however, Ben suddenly broke his contract and quit his job. James immediately instru cted the other printers in Boston not to hire his brother, and as a result, Ben realizes that he would have to travel to a different city if he wished to find work. At age 17, he secretly leaves home and traveled to New York City. He finds no work there , but learns that he could get a job in Philadelphia working for a printer named Andrew Bradford. His journey to Philadelphia is eventful as he gets caught in a storm, during which he saved the life of a drunken Dutchman, who nearly drowned. The boat dropped him off near Burlington, about 18 miles from Philadelphia. He finally arrived in the city on October 6, 1723 in the Market Street Wharf. Wandering around, Franklin stumbled into a Quaker meeting near the market. One of these Quakers showed him a place to stay the night, and the following day, he goes to Bradford's to find work. Although Bradford can provide him with housing, Franklin is disappointed to learn that he can offer no actual work. He instead sets up Franklin with a man named Keimer who runs a different printing shop in town. Ben soon comes to think that both men are "poorly qualified" as printers. Before long, he moves in with a man named John Read, whose daughter, Deborah, Franklin will later marry. Franklin then goes about befriending other Philadelphia youth, although he stills writes to Collins often. The rest of Boston he forgets until he receives a letter from Robert Holmes, his brother-in-law, asking him to return. When Franklin wrote an elegant letter back explaining why he would not return to Boston, Holmes showed the letter to Pennsylvania Gov. William Keith , who is moved by Franklin's strong writing skills. Keith resolves to help Franklin set up a printing house, and he visits F ranklin at Keimer's office to discuss such plans. They agree that Franklin will receive help from the government, but he must also receive financial assistance from his father. To request such help, Franklin returns to Boston for seven months, where he meets with his father, Josiah, who refuses his request for financial help because he deems Franklin too young. Josiah promises to help Franklin when he turns 21. Meanwhile, Ben learns that James is still very bitter over Ben's resignation.

Franklin decides to return to Philadelphia, this time with Collins in tow. Before getting back, he visits his brother in Rhode Island, and he nearly falls victim to two thieves posing as loose women on a boat to New York, where he meets up with Collins a nd Gov. Burnet of New York, who takes an interest in Franklin's book collection. Collins has become a drunk, and Franklin loans him much money on their trip to Philadelphia. When Collins refuses to row his turn on the boat, however, a fight ensues, and Collins is thrown overboard by Franklin. Collins is humiliated and decides to go to work in Barbados rather than Philadelphia. He never sees Franklin again, and never repays him the borrowed money. Back in Philadelphia, Franklin tells Keith of his father's refusal to provide financial , and so Keith agrees to Franklin himself. Franklin, however, decides first to travel to England so that he may make acquaintances in the bookselling a nd stationery industries. Meanwhile, he works for Keimer, with whom he practices debate and vegetarianism until Keimer gives up. He also begins courting Miss Read, but his trip to England will not allow him to marry her. He befriends three men --Charles Osborne, Joseph Watson and James Ralph--all of whom are "lovers of reading." Together they hold poetry writing contests and various debates, and Ralph went on to achieve some poetic fame, although he is mostly forgotten today. Franklin dec ides that Ralph will accompany him on his trip to England. Commentary Franklin mentions in this section one of his "first errata," when he quits his job with his brother. Franklin's mention of his errors blends in well with the overall theme of selfimprovement. Franklin mentions them for one reason so as to show others h ow not to live their lives. He also points them out as a means of showing humility. He wants to make it clear that he has never acted perfectly in all situations, and he wishes to indicate that he recognizes the mistakes he has made during his life. Th e mention of his second erratum has the same effect. There are times in the Autobiography when Franklin sounds like he is trying to prove to the reader one of his virtues. In his commitment to practice vegetarianism with Keimer, he tells of how he was able to maintain the diet because of his great d etermination. Keimer, Franklin points out, was unable to keep up the practice. Thus, Franklin points out to the reader his own skills of determination by showing that another person was unable to accomplish the same things he did. His use of Keimer to show his own virtue is particularly interesting because Keimer holds a position of authority over Franklin; he is Franklin's boss. Franklin, as we know, does not think much of Keimer as a printer, and so criticizing Keimer in the Autobiography is a means of getting revenge on Keimer for all time. Many literary critics have often thought of Franklin's Autobiography as a prototypical revenge narrative. The book itself outlines all the ways in which Franklin rises up to become better than the people who were superior to him earlier on in life. He writes about his conflicts with his brother who thought himself superior, and so as a means of getting revenge Franklin goes to Philadelphia and ends up printing the most succe ssful newspaper in Philadelphia if not the New World. Franklin gets revenge on all the Royal Governors who looked down on him by becoming a great political figure himself and condemning them in his book. He gets revenge on John Collins by forever immort alizing him as a drunk who never achieved close to what Franklin achieved because Collins had no work

ethic. Franklin even its to a type of "aristocracy worship" when he discusses how pleased he was and how special he thought it was to meet the New Wo rld Governors and see them take an interest in him. However, later on in life Franklin himself assumes those same types of prominent positions so that, as some critics argue, he could end up being just as good as those he worshiped early on in life.

Part One, third section Summary On route to England with Ralph, Franklin meets a Quaker called Mr. Denham with whom he will stay friends in England. They arrive in London in December 24, 1724. Franklin quickly learns, however, that despite what Keith promised, he did not actually write Franklin a letter of recommendation to be shown to all the printers and stationery sellers in London with whom Franklin was hoping to make connections. Denham advises Franklin to get a job at Palmer's, a famous printing house, where Franklin works for the next year while living with Ralph. Ralph slowly forgets his wife and children and Franklin forgets Miss Read as they live life to the fullest, always having fun and always going broke. Franklin, meanwhile, befriends a man named Wilcox, and together they work out a deal for a small lending library, and idea which will come to greater fruition back in Philadelphia. Franklin prints a pamphlet called A Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain. The pamphlet is read by a well known surgeon in London, who makes a point of befriending Franklin and introducing him to a number of famous London figures. Meanwhile, Ralph decides to move out of London into the countryside with his new girlfriend. Ralph becomes a school teacher and begins writing epic poetry, most of which is very bad, and mailing it to Franklin to read. Ralph's girlfriend begins to worry about Ralph, and she goes to Franklin for advice. Franklin, however, thinks that she is flirting with him, and so when he propositions her, she runs back and tells Ralph about it, forcing Ralph and Franklin to break off their friendship. Franklin eventually gets promoted out of presswork and into composing articles. He makes more money and moves out of his old lodgings. He begins renting a room from an elderly woman who tells him lots of stories. He makes more friends and spends much of his time swimming (he even thinks of opening a swimming school), but after 18 months in London, Mr. Denham persuades him to leave London and return to Philadelphia. Back in America, Franklin sees that Keith has lost his job as Governor and has become a common citizen. Keimer offers Franklin a manager job on his return, which Franklin at first declines so that he may work for Denham in his goods store. When Denham dies, however, Franklin takes over managerial work at Keimer's, "putting his printing house in order." Although some employees quit, Franklin gets along with them all very well. He becomes a fullfledged workaholic, making a mold for duplicate types and spending all hours of the day at the presses. When Keimer seeks to cut Franklin's wages, however, Franklin quits. With his friend Meredith, Franklin agrees to take over Keimer's printing house when it goes broke and use it to begin a new newspaper with printing supplies (often called cuts and types) from London. Keimer, however, gets a new job in New Jersey, and offers Franklin a partnership, which Franklin accepts so that he can meet new people in New Jersey. Although Keimer gains a lot from being able to use Franklin's cuts and types, Franklin gains from his new connections. He then returns to Philadelphia and, with his new material from London, begins work in a new printing house with Meredith.

Around this time, Franklin explores his own intellectualism, and he fully converts to Deism. He adopts the ideals of "truth, sincerity and integrity," and as a means of debating these, he forms a group called the Junto, which meets every Friday to discuss questions of philosophy and morality. The group lasts approximately 40 years, and expands substantially later on. Through Franklin's great industry, his new paper avoids bankruptcy. However, when Keimer falls on the verge of bankruptcy, Franklin buys his paper and turns it around (Keimer later goes fully broke and moves to the Caribbean). He also become the official printer for the Pennsylvania Assembly, the colonial government, thanks to his connections with a Mr. Hamilton whom he met on a boat to England. Franklin begins to make a substantial amount of money which he uses to pay off all the debts he ever incurred, plus interest. Meredith, meanwhile, leaves the newspaper and moves to the southern colonies. In 1729, Franklin hires two men named Coleman and Grace to replace Meredith and to expand the operation. Several months later, a debate arises in the government over paper money, and Franklin prints his pamphlet entitled The Nature and Necessity of a Paper Currency. When the House votes in favor of paper currency, they hire Franklin to print it, which brings him good income. He was later hired to print even more government documents. Meanwhile, he starts to think about marriage. He has trouble finding a wife because the job of a printer is not yet seen as very respectable. He finally weds his old sweetheart, Miss Read, on September 1, 1730. It is her second marriage; her first husband abandoned her. She helps Franklin in his "first project of a public nature": a subscription library, which Franklin founds as the first library in America. Note: At this point, Franklin stops writing his autobiography so that he can devote himself fully to the events of the Revolution, which are just beginning. He resumes writing after the Revolution, in the early 1780s. Commentary We see that Franklin is beginning to become more prolific as a writer. In this section, he publishes a pamphlet in England and talks about the reasons for its necessity. Franklin clearly sees that writing is a tool through which he can express his ideas and argue points, and he believes that it is this mentality that helps him become such a success later on in life. One of the purposes of the Autobiography is to trace Franklin's intellectual growth as he slowly becomes that great mind as which future generations always him. This facet of the Autobiography may in part provide the theoretical groundwork for Henry Adams' autobiography, The Education of Henry Adams. This facet also partly places the work in its 18th-century Age of Reason context, when the perfectibility of the human mind through education was idealized by the intellectual community. In this section, Franklin proves that he does have a generous side. He follows the religious principle of allowing others to borrow from you when they are in need, and as a result he loans much money to Ralph, none of which is ever repaid. Franklin shows here that although he thinks it necessary to live virtuously, he does not mind giving money to people who do not live virtuously, such as Collins and Ralph. Franklin shows that even though he aspires to be a part of the aristocracy, he is not interested in accruing as much money as possible, and he is willing to be generous and non- judgmental in the loaning of his money.

Franklin states in this section that he becomes a believer in Deism. Loosely explained, Deism emerged during the Age of Reason as a religious philosophy based on a belief in God but not in any particular denominations. To Deists, God was like a watchmaker who creates a watch and then lets its run of its own accord without interfering in its mechanisms. Most Deists believed in a non- interventionist God who created the world and humans but watches them from a distance without affecting the outcome of every action. Deists do not subscribe to any particular Christian denomination. Franklin's subscription to Deism places him intellectually among many prominent thinkers of the later 17th century. Franklin's faith in God but belief in Deism also worked its way into some of his writings, leading him to create the aphorism, "God helps those who help themselves." Along with Deism comes a utilitarian attitude by which Franklin idealizes things that are somehow useful or promote pleasure, utilitarianism itself being another ideal to grow out of the Age of Reason. Also in this section, Franklin refers sometime to his various virtues and why they are important. This foreshadows the lengthy discussion of virtues that follows in Part Two of the Autobiography. However, Franklin's outline of some virtues here may be the result of poor planning on his part that results in repetition. Franklin wrote the Autobiography in several pieces separated by many years. Part Two was written over a decade after Part One, and it was written at a time when Franklin did not even have Part One with him; he probably had little recollection of what he had even written in Part One. He did, however, with the aide of some letters, that he had meant to discuss virtue more completely, thus prompting his decision to outline his list of 13 virtues as we will see in the next section.

Part Two Summary Part Two opens with the letters to Franklin The first is from a Mr. Abel James, and it comments on Part One of the Autobiography and the outline of the rest of the work, both of which Franklin had shown him asking for his opinion. Written in 1782, the letter encourages Franklin to complete the work. The second letter is from Benjamin Vaughn, and it is dated January, 1783. Having seen the outline and parts of the book itself, Vaughn encourages Franklin to continue with the book because, when published, the book may be of great use to others who are looking for a model by which they can better their lives. Perhaps more importantly, Vaughn argues that the publication of the Autobiography will prove to the English that the Americans are a great people of virtue and industry, and America is a country which has great economic mobility. Franklin, who is writing from immediately after the Revolution ended, returns to some of his old accomplishments. He mentioned that the library he started in 1730 was a big success. He had bought books from England because there were no good bookstores in Philadelphia. His library, he writes, helped "reading become fashionable...[and] people become better acquainted with books." Nevertheless, fearing resentment from others because of his increasing success and fame, Franklin writes that he did not take too much credit for the library when it first started. As the library is started, Franklin himself is just starting a new family with Miss Read, his new wife. He uses the library for his own mental development, and meanwhile he manages to his family based on "industry and frugality." He saves money wherever possible. He remains a firm Deist, but he mentions that he respects all religions and dislikes religious strife. He does not ever attend "public worship," and he finds fault in some Christian theological interpretations of morality. Continually obsessed with self-betterment, Franklin consents "to the bold and arduous project of arriving at Moral Perfection." He creates a list of 13 virtues that are, in order: Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Chastity, and Humility. He sets about creating a weekly plan by which he will develop one virtue per week, eventually perfecting them all. He focuses on one virtue per week, keeping track of his successes and failures in a small book he keeps with him at all times. He also develops a daily planner to help him acquire Order. Franklin finds many faults at first, but over time he manages to correct most of them. He finds that Order is the most difficult for him to acquire, partly because Franklin's good memory makes Order not as necessary. However, Franklin ends up being pleased with his inability to perfect all his virtues, deciding, "a speckled axe is best....A benevolent man should allow a few faults in himself, to keep his friends in countenance." Franklin writes that although he never became perfect, he did become happier. He writes about his hope that all his descendants who read his Autobiography will derive the same enjoyment and benefits from acquiring these virtues. Franklin adds that the list of virtues are likely to appeal to people of all religions. They are not

geared specifically at any one particular faith because Franklin stresses their utilitarian benefits rather than their moral benefits. He mentions that Humility was added last when his friends started to complain that he was too arrogant. To make himself seem more humble, he used such phrases as "I conceive" or "I apprehend" rather than "certainly, undoubtedly," etc. Franklin writes that he afterwards started enjoying conversations more. However, he found his pride impossible to vanquish. In fact, he sardonically mentions that he became so humble so as to be proud of his own humility. Note: In 1784, Franklin once again stops writing his autobiography. He resumes back in America, four years later, in August 1788. Commentary While Franklin's inclusion of two highly congratulatory letters at the beginning of this section may seem arrogant, it provides a framework that explains why Franklin is writing on virtues. Both writers imply that an autobiography such as Franklin's can be of great use to others because Franklin has lived a life of great virtue. For the betterment of society, Franklin ought to make his life public. That way, others can try to lead similar successful lives and rise up into prominence. The general manners of the 18th century will be promoted if this book is released, say the letter writers. Franklin uses these two letters to explain why he writes an entire section on the improvement of one's virtues. He seems to want his autobiography to be as useful as possible towards the betterment of others. This also adds a new twist to the book; it is no longer just the story of Franklin's life told so as to let his son know about his father. It is now also a general-purpose self-help manual. Of course, Franklin's mention of his goal of achieving "Moral Perfection" is meant to be humorous. Franklin is stating in a tongue-in-cheek fashion that he does not think man can really be perfected, and he is mocking the 18th-century optimism that promoted the belief in the perfectibility of man. In one sense, Franklin may also be mocking his own youthful idealism. Franklin enjoys being ironic and humorous throughout the biography, and this is one of the times in which he does so. At the end of Part One, it may be useful to reflect upon Franklin's writing style. Compared to many authors of the 18th century, Franklin's style is noticeably concise and easy to read. He gets to the point very quickly and reports on the important facts rather than the secondary ones. It is oftentimes remarkable how much information and how many stories he can fit into a single page. Franklin carried that style into his newspaper writing, and it has survived there right up into the present. Franklin played a major role in developing journalism as a terse form of writing, always sticking to the point. Also, while some of the anecdotes in the Autobiography are slightly unclear, Franklin rarely tells tangential stories unless they contribute directly to whatever point he is trying to make. Furthermore, he always finds the shortest way to express any particular thought, a fact that is evidenced by his prolific coinage of aphorisms. Its accessibility may be another reason for the enduring popularity of Franklin's Autobiography; as an 18th-century work, it is certainly among the most easily read and understood. At the end of Part Two, we see Franklin again struggling with the issue of his own vanity. To his credit, he is more than willing to confess that he could never quell his pride, even though he

did his best to feign humility. Nevertheless, the very act of publishing an autobiography in order to lay out one's life as a model is itself a vain act. This is one of the more common criticisms of Franklin. Many have argued that he is too hypocritical in his overt praise of humility. Other critics, however, have been unfazed by this apparent contradiction. Either way, Franklin himself is clearly aware of the humility vs. pride problem, and there are times in the Autobiography when he is obviously confessing his own faults so as to be honest.

Part Three, first section Summary Franklin is writing Part Three from his home in America. He is writing in August 1788, about four years after ceasing work on Part Two and 17 years after completing Part One. Franklin in 1731, begins a project "great and extensive" to create a new political party with international appeal. He writes a note outlining his political beliefs as they relate to parties, which he believes carry on and effect "wars, revolutions, etc." He thinks that someone ought to found a international Party for Virtue, open only to the wise. Franklin begins forming this party by preparing a condensed set of the essential principles of every major religion (it includes such basics as the existence of God, the power of God and the immortality of the soul). All the people in the Party for Virtue would have to subscribe to the thirteen virtues from Part Two as well as these religious principles, and they would each have to form a plan for helping mankind. However, due to constraints of time and the necessity to focus on other issues, his ideas for such a party were abandoned. In 1732, Franklin begins Poor Richard's Almanac, a publication that lasts 25 years. Franklin founds it out of the intent to begin something "both entertaining and useful." He also wants something to instruct "the common people," which he does via his many aphorisms. One issue, for instance, quips, "It's hard for an empty sack to stand upright." He uses parts of his newspaper, The Pennsylvania Gazette, to the same educational purpose. The paper, with its circulation of 1,500, comprises over half of Franklin's income. He makes sure at all time to keep the paper free from libel and abuse, and he never allows private arguments to make their way into his presses. As he moves further into adulthood, Franklin takes up more political issues, advocating publicly the education of women, particularly in ing. He flourishes intellectually, learning French, Italian, Spanish and Latin, and he advocates that Latin be taught in schools as the last language rather than the first after English. He plays chess regularly. He also gives to his local Presbyterian church, although he withdraws that when he realizes that the preacher plagiarizes his sermons. His life is far from perfect, however. He is particularly hurt, for instance, when his son dies at the age of four, although he does not give the event any more than brief mention. Despite hardships, he does return to Boston for a visit to see his family, and he makes amends with his brother, James helping him with printing types. Back in Philadelphia, Franklin oversees the branching out of the Junto, his debating club, which expands to include different chapters in other parts of the nation. Meanwhile, he keeps up his printing work, becoming the Clerk of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania in 1736. The following year, he becomes the Deputy Postmaster of Philadelphia, a job which allows him to see that his paper, the Gazette, is delivered by mail. In 1753, Franklin rises to the top of the mail delivery world, becoming Postmaster General of the United States.

Franklin begins to turn his attention more and more to "public affairs" and the betterment of society. He comes up with a plan for better funding the police by setting up a type of property tax. He also publishes a pamphlet on fire causation, and with some help he forms the Union Fire Company, the first modernized fire department in America. While he begins to grow in fame during the 1730s, Franklin pays close attention to the events of the Great Awakening, a national religious revival marked by an emphasis on emotions and firebrand, charismatic preachers such as Jonathan Edwards. In 1739, Franklin meets Rev. Whitefield, an English preacher who helps spark the Great Awakening in the colonies. Franklin observes people go from being "thoughtless or indifferent about religion" to being religious fanatics. Franklin is pleased to see the increase in charitable giving, and he himself is persuaded by Whitefield's powerful oratory to donate a huge sum towards the building of an orphanage in Georgia even though Franklin believes the orphanage should be built in Philadelphia. However, Franklin does criticize Whitefield's writing style. Commentary The Party for Virtue is a large testament to Franklin's idealism. Again, we see in Franklin a reflection of 18th-century zeitgeist, or spirit of the times. He was incredibly ambitious and optimistic as a young man. His idealism as a youth and his good-natured cynicism as an older man are both present in the Autobiography, and as a result the work is partially a reflection on the process of growing older. Franklin implicitly shows a large transformation in himself that occurs between the 1730s and the 1780s. Franklin does not intend necessarily to demean the optimism of youth, but he certainly does show the loss of optimism and birth of skepticism that comes about with age. Franklin's discussion of Poor Richard's Almanac is oftentimes regarded as overly arrogant because of Franklin's reference to his desire to educate the "common people." This comment is striking particularly because Franklin himself was, for the first part of his life, one of the "common people"? He was not born into any natural aristocracy, and all the good repute he gained he did so through luck and his own hard work. Nevertheless, he seems distanced as a young man from the roots from which he emerged. While he does not seem to condemn common folk, he certainly looks down on them from an educated perch he himself has not known for a very long period of time. Arrogance aside, it is Book Three that is most responsible for the mythologization of Franklin. It is in this book that he discusses most of his common inventions that we have always associated with him--the discovery of electricity in lightning, the invention of the fire brigade, the work as Postmaster General, the funding of a hospital, the organization of a street-sweeping force, and many others. The Autobiography is still read today in part because it enshrines Franklin as an American legend who is responsible for many improvements in American life that we today take for granted. Part Three discusses the majority of these. As mentioned in the previous section, Franklin's style is concise, and it usually only discusses important events without writing tangentially. However, Franklin may sometimes be terse to a fault. For instance, he seems to gloss over the death of his son without giving it any real attention. He does not discuss his emotions or circumstances any more than to tell other parents

that they ought to deliver inoculations to their children. While the death of his son was no doubt a very major event in his family life, Franklin is very clearly more concerned about his growth in the public sphere rather than the circumstances of his own private life. It is important when reading any literature to keep in mind why anyone writes something. In the case if Franklin, he is writing to solidify his image and the memory of him as a great public figure rather than as a great father. His initial goal of writing a personal, private memoir to his son, as he initially seems to have set out to do, has been laid aside.

Part Three, second section Summary As the 1730s and '40s go on, Franklin becomes more and more successful. His newspaper does very well, and he has a good relationship with his printing office in the Carolinas. He continues working on his public works projects, one of which is plans for an "Academy." The plan is unsuccessful at first, and Franklin abandons it temporarily to focus on a plan for colonial defense. He resumes work on the Academy in 1743 after publishing Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania. With the help of the Junto, Franklin oversees a board of trustees and the construction of what soon becomes the University of Pennsylvania, which opens as a full-fledged college in 1755 and a university in 1765. Meanwhile, Franklin publishes a pamphlet called Plain Truth which outlines the poor defense of the colonies and the need for colonial unity. He organizes a town meeting to discuss the pamphlet, and at this meeting he promotes the need for increased common colonial defense. Franklin establishes a type of lottery to raise defense money, although he has difficulty raising funds because of the large population of pacifist Quakers, whom Franklin respects enormously. Becoming more obsessed with bettering the quality of life, Franklin invents the stove in 1742, and he beneficently refuses to patent it so as to allow its greater proliferation. To his satisfaction, the use of stoves becomes widespread within his lifetime. Later on, he becomes Commissioner of the Peace, then takes a seat in the Pennsylvania Assembly. One of his projects in the House is to draft a treaty with the American Indians. He respects the Indians, and he laments that the harmful effects of alcohol abuse have "annihilated" some tribes. In 1751, Franklin, with his friend Thomas Bond, draft ideas for building a hospital, and Franklin drafts the bill to secure funding. At the same time, he works as an advisor on the construction of a new Presbyterian meeting house. His next public project is the organization of a street sweeping service, a very popular idea. He drafts a bill for paving the city and providing lighting. He develops a new design for lights and a more efficient sweeping system after he sees that an old disabled woman can sweep one street clean in less than three hours. Franklin notes that he does all his public service work because, as he says, "Human felicity is produced not so much by pieces of good fortune that seldom happen, as by little advantages that occur every day." In recognition of his exemplary work, Franklin is awarded honorary degrees from such prominent schools as Harvard and Yale. In 1754, it becomes clear that England is facing a war with (war does erupt in 1754, and it is known by two names: the Seven Years' War [in Europe] and the French and Indian War [in America]). Franklin immediately brings forward plans for defense of the colonies. He also draws a plan for setting up the government during the war. He works closely with the Governors of Pennsylvania and New York, a task that requires extensive travel. Franklin develops a funding plan for the armed forces based on loans. However, his efforts begin to concern the English government that the colonies may be becoming too self-sufficient, and as a result it sends numerous reserve forces to the American colonies.

Franklin is placed in charge of collecting wagons for the war effort, which he does by sending around open letters. He manages to gather 150 wagons in only two weeks, at which point he devotes himself to preparing care packages for soldiers so as to increase morale after visiting the camp of a Colonel Dunbar. In general, Franklin praises the British Generals, but he thinks that they are too harsh on and judgmental of American troops. However, after recounting some British military debacles, Franklin states that the American colonists began to question the real skill of the British leaders. Franklin also outlines some of his problems with getting repaid money by the military bureaucracy. He spends a large amount of time in the field, close to battles and the action of war, recounting events in the war which are mostly forgotten today. He eventually becomes a financial commissioner in charge of seeing to the distribution of very large sums in military funding to form a militia. Franklin gives a detailed of his he set about raising the militia and constructing forts and trenches in the then-Northwest to fight French-allied Indians. However, Franklin's company is never attacked by Indians. For his efforts, Franklin attains the rank of Colonel, which is later removed when the British a law removing his honors. He spends much subsequent time working on ways to supply troops and keep them well stocked with supplies. Commentary Early on in this section, notice that Franklin stresses again that his ideas of virtue are not meant to be adopted simply for moral reasons but rather for utilitarian benefits. Franklin tries to make the case that living virtuously makes life easier and more enjoyable. Franklin makes this point perhaps because he wants to appeal to a larger audience of readers. Also, Franklin may be concerned about being judged as too Puritanical or strictly religious. Franklin is, after all, cognizant of his and America's Puritan ancestry. However, whereas the Puritans argues for the practice of virtue because it pleased God, Franklin makes the case for virtue because it pleased man, and thereby indirectly pleases God. There are certainly time in the work when Franklin tries to distance his own ideas from those of his predecessors. Part Three of the Autobiography in general takes a different tone from the first two parts. Whereas Part One was directed towards people interested in the details of Franklin's personal life, and whereas Part Two was aimed at those seeking self-improvement advice, Part Three seems more interested in enshrining Franklin as an early American hero responsible for so many life improvements. The tone becomes less personal in Part Three as Franklin focuses less on the year-to- year events in which he is engaged and more in general activities of which he is a part. In particular, Franklin spends much time here recounting the events of the French and Indian War as he took part in them. To modern audiences, this is likely the least interesting part of the Autobiography and in many ways the least important part. Franklin likely included it more for his contemporaries and immediate successors who wished to know about the war and how Franklin was involved. The is most important for illustrating the incompetence of British officers, an incompetence which helped fuel the colonists' belief that they could achieve independence in the 1770s. Franklin also uses Part Three to prove how well rounded he is. In this particular subdivision, Franklin emphasizes that he was a part of the military as though to ensure the reader that he took part in all manner of services towards his country. While Franklin did not see much action, he does point out his promotions and successes in the armed forces while foreshadowing

of course the growing strength and independence of the colonists and the arrogance of the British.

Part Three, third section, and Part Four Summary Ceasing his of his military experiences, Franklin turns to his scientific achievements. In 1746, Franklin receives instruction in the conducting of scientific experiments. He manufactures a number of beakers and practices his own experiments at home. Franklin slowly develops the idea that lightning and electricity are the same thing, an idea which is at first laughed upon by many well known scientists. Franklin publishes his experiment papers, which include mention of his now- famous kite experiment. The papers are immediately translated into several languages; Franklin quickly gains extraordinary celebrity status. He receives a medal of honor from the Royal Society, a very prestigious award. Meanwhile, Franklin develops his friendship with the new Pennsylvania Governor, Capt. Denny, who entertains Franklin at dinners from time to time. The Pennsylvania Assembly, in 1756, appoints Franklin as the Commissioner to England, where he must travel in order to press for colonial rights with the Crown in accordance with a petition put together by the Assembly. Franklin is chosen for the job largely because of his scientific reputation overseas. Franklin meanwhile worked towards provisions for the further defense of the colonies. He keeps track of the events of the war, which end up going very well for the British troops several years into the war. Franklin also comments extensively on which military figures he respected and which he thought lackluster. After a number of delays and further expenses in New York, most of the reasons for which he recounts in the Autobiography, Franklin finally leaves America. On route, he writes down some of his observations about shipbuilding, and he recounts his ship being chased by French warships. After doing some brief sightseeing in the English countryside, he eventually arrives in London on July 27, 1757, thus ending Part Three. The very short Part Four explains briefly the events of Franklin's London visit and important happenings of 1757. Franklin meets some of his old English friends briefly, but his diplomacy is not entirely successful. He is told by the President of the King's Privy Council that "The King is the legislator of the colonies," and as a result is not interested in Franklin's attempts to press colonial legislation rights. Franklin argues for the importance of the colonial Assemblies and their ability to create laws, but his arguments go largely unheeded. Franklin feels that he is treated rudely in meetings, and he grows resentful towards the English diplomats. He is forced to represent and defend American taxation codes in English court, and comes close to achieving a compromise. Upon his return to Philadelphia in 1762, the Assembly takes a vote of thanks to Franklin for his efforts to promote colonial interests in Britain. Franklin then ceases writing the Autobiography, and dies two years later before he had time to finish it. Commentary The later parts of Part Three and most of Part Four are of little interest to modern audiences who no longer study the specifics of the French and Indian War in great detail. Nevertheless, the sections are valuable for establishing Franklin's reputation as a great diplomat and for depicting Franklin as a world-renowned scholar. Franklin's appointment to press colonial rights

in England reminds us that Franklin was really known more as a scientist than anything else up until the Revolution, a fact that is often forgotten today. The foreshadowing of Part Four seems to indicate that Franklin was indeed interested in finishing the Autobiography. His mention of the English arrogance and unwillingness to compromise, as well as the sudden renewal of English interest in the American colonies after decades of "benevolent neglect," foreshadows the ensuing conflict between Britain and America. After all, it was England's sudden decision in 1763 after the Seven Years' War to reap more benefits from American colonies that largely precipitated the Revolution. Franklin would of course go on to be a major opponent of the Stamp Act and the Townsend Duty Acts, both of which he perceived to be typical cases of English imposing duties on colonists with no political representation or recourse. The division between Part Three and Part Four is tenuous, and some editions of the Autobiography have omitted the break altogether. The edition of 1818 ended with the line, "We arrived in London..." However, it was not until some of Franklin's notes were recovered as late as 1868 that editor John Bigelow pieced Part Four onto the end of Part Three, thus extending the Autobiography's length by three pages or so. Indeed, while most people find the later parts of Part Three and Part Four uninteresting and tedious, they lay the groundwork for what could be a thorough discussion of the Revolution and Franklin's role in it. Unfortunately, Franklin's death left these sections cut off and unedited; the Autobiography, despite its continually maintained theme of self-improvement and an interest in learning, ends with an esoteric of Franklin's activities in England as a Commissioner. Readers seeking to learn more about Franklin's role in subsequent events, such as the Revolution and drafting of the Constitution, can refer to his collected journals and notes, which he kept meticulously.

Analysis Undoubtedly, the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is riddled with faults. It is very muddled, particularly towards the end. It was not written in a continuous stretch, but rather pasted together out of separate fragments that were written years apart from one another; often, the author could not what he had even written in the previous sections. The work often takes an arrogant, condescending tone, yet it praises the virtue of humility. And perhaps most egregious of all, the part of Ben's life with the most historical significance--the American Revolution--is entirely omitted from the work. There is no real mention of events after 1760, 15 years before the outbreak of war. At that year the Autobiography simply stops. A natural questions to ask, then, is, "Why are we still reading this tangled, sometimes difficult and frequently esoteric work over 200 years after it was written?" There are several reasons, one of which is because it establishes in literary form the first example of the fulfillment of the American Dream. Franklin demonstrates the possibilities of life in the New World through his own rise from the lower middle class as a youth to one of the most ired men in the world as an adult. Furthermore, he asserts that he achieved his success through a solid work ethic. He proved that even undistinguished persons in Boston can, through industry, become great figures of importance in America. When we think of the American Dream today--the ability to rise from rags to riches through hard work--we are usually thinking of the model set forth by Franklin in this autobiography. A second reason why the Autobiography remains a classic is for historical reasons. The work was one of the premier autobiographies in the English language. While they abound today in Barnes and Nobles all over the world, the autobiography as a literary form had not emerged at the time Franklin lived, at least not in non-religious format. His autobiography defined a secular literary tradition; he established the autobiography as a work that is meant to not only tell about a person's own life but also to educate the reader in ways to better live life. This format has been modified throughout American history, but it is safe to say that such classics as Frederick Douglass' Narrative and Henry Adams' The Education of Henry Adams owe much of their style and format to the tradition established by Franklin. Part Two of the Autobiography, complete with its list of virtues and ways in which one can achieve them, has influenced millions of readers over the last two centuries. It also helped spawn the genre of the mainstream self-help book. Also, the Autobiography tells us today what life was like in 18th century America. Naturally, the story is told from the perspective of only one person, but in an age when literacy was low and writing not widespread, any surviving documents are of value to historians who wish to learn how people lived from day to day. Specifics of life in colonial America abound in the book, and this is invaluable information to anyone wishing to learn more about that time period. Of course, one must always keep in mind that life for Franklin was not like life for everyone else; he represents only one person out of many thousands. Franklin's Autobiography is also a reflection of 18th century idealism. Often called the Age of Reason, the 18th century was the age of men such as John Locke and Isaac Newton. Intellectualism flourished along with scientific inventions and advances in political thought.

Many people held to the optimistic belief that man could be perfected through scientific and political progress. Franklin ascribes to these beliefs partially, and Part Two of the Autobiography shows him trying to live them out. Perhaps the Autobiography has most endured because, despite its muddled nature, it is the preeminent work that mythologizes a hero of the American Revolution. Franklin is often introduced to elementary school children as a Renaissance man, someone who seemed to master all fields of knowledge--he was, among other things, scientist, inventor, statesman and writer. The Autobiography is the only enduring token that enshrines all the facets of his diverse nature; it presents Americans today with a great hero from the past who helped establish the tradition of the American Dream. Numerous critics have often called Franklin the "first American"; his autobiography provides a good example of why.

Study Question How would you describe Franklin writing style? A good answer would comment on Franklin's use of humor and his attempts to poke fun at himself so as to not seem arrogant. Moreover, Franklin's style is terse and witty; he usually makes his points using as few words as possible, which in part leads to his tendency to create aphorisms. Franklin's style is predominantly didactic as the Autobiography is intended to be read partly as a self- help manual. Franklin contributed to the development of journalism as type of writing that presents the facts in the order of most important to least important, using as few words as are necessary. What does the Autobiography tell us about the 18th century? There are many answers to this question, some of which are mentioned here. First, Franklin shows from a sociological standpoint the possibilities for economic mobility in colonial America. After all, Franklin himself arrived in Philadelphia at 17 years old without a penny to his name, and from those beginnings he worked his way up to being a successful printer, a talented inventor and a Founding Father of America. Second, Franklin's idealism and faith in the betterment of mankind, as well as his Deism and utilitarianism, places him intellectually in the Age of Reason, a time when people often believed optimistically that the world and man could be perfected through science. Religion was also questioned during this age, and that questioning manifests itself in Franklin's philosophy. Franklin's creation of the Junto is a testament to his interest in the importance of debate, another 18th century intellectual ideal. Third, Franklin shows us how people went about their day to day lives in the 1700s. While this isn't a major thrust of the book, we learn about the way apprenticeships worked and how the government operated in the colonies, among a variety of other glimpses into 18th century life. What is the purpose of the Autobiography, and how does that purpose change throughout the work? The Autobiography never has one clearly defined audience. Its opening is addressed to William Franklin, Benjamin's son. After approximately eight pages, however, the work becomes a more general of Franklin's early memories and experiences. In Part Two, the work begins to address an audience specifically interested in self-improvement. Part Two has a particularly didactic tone because it is designed to educate using Franklin himself as a model. Part Three changes tone once again, detailing the events of Franklin's life not so much as highlighting all his major accomplishments so as to enshrine him. The later pages of Part Three seem to be devoted particularly to Franklin's contemporaries who are interested in the details of American history before the Revolution. Franklin's tone reflects the purpose of ing for the major events of history as Franklin witnessed them and took part in them. Franklin often struggles to strike a balance between promoting humility and promoting his accomplishments. How successful is he in maintaining this balance? Discuss Franklin's optimism as a young man versus the diminished optimism he has as an adult

looking back on his life. How do the two work together? Franklin intended the Autobiography to be a unified work; he drew up an outline and tried to stick with it. In what ways does the book seem to be unified? How can one tell that the book was written over the course of 18 years? What motivates Franklin? Why does he choose to spend so much of his life making things better for his fellow countrymen? How does Franklin employ humor in the Autobiography? Pick several instances and comment on them. What are some of the major flaws in the Autobiography? What problems does it face and how do those problems come about? "Franklin was a shameless self-promoter with numerous achievements, almost all of which were accomplished primarily to gain himself fame and bragging rights. Moreover, he was blindly idealistic, and did not concern himself with Americans not as lucky as himself." Defend or refute this statement.

Review Quiz Franklin's father was: (A) James (B) Josiah (C) Benjamin (D) William Part One of the Autobiography opens with a letter to: (A) William Franklin, Benjamin's son (B) John Franklin, Benjamin's father (C) Max Josephson, Benjamin's childhood friend (D) Dorothy James, Franklin's wife In 1730, Franklin enters into a common-law marriage with: (A) Sally Hemings (B) Susan Wright (C) Elizabeth Stoddard (D) Deborah Read Early in life, Franklin works for his father, who: (A) Runs a printing press (B) Makes soap and candles (C) Serves as Royal Governor of Massachusetts (D) Runs a shipping business Franklin spends much of his teenage years working for: (A) James, his brother (B) Benjamin, his uncle (C) Abiah, his mother (D) Gov. Burnet of New York When Franklin leaves Boston, the first city he travels to is: (A) Philadelphia (B) New Haven (C) New York (D) Trenton In Philadelphia, Franklin begins to work for a printer named: (A) Thomas Hutchinson

(B) William Bradford (C) John Collins (D) Samuel Keimer Shortly after arriving in Philadelphia, Franklin meets the Royal Governor of Pennsylvania, a man named: (A) William Keith (B) George Burnet (C) William Bradford (D) Samuel Keimer In order to make s in the printing and stationery industries, Franklin travels to and spends 18 months in: (A) Paris (B) New York (C) London (D) Berlin Which of these positions does Franklin not achieve? (A) Postmaster General of America (B) Governor of Pennsylvania (C) Delegate to the Second Continental Congress and co-author of the Constitution (D) Commissioner to the Paris peace treaty negotiations Franklin traveled to England in 1724 with: (A) John Collins (B) James Anderson (C) Deborah Read (D) James Ralph Franklin's childhood friend, John Collins, (A) Remains friends with Franklin the rest of his life (B) Becomes a drunk and emigrates to the Caribbean after fighting with Franklin (C) Becomes Governor of Pennsylvania (D) Becomes Postmaster General along with Franklin Before leaving England, Franklin contemplates starting up a school to teach people how to: (A) Write (B) Debate (C) Swim (D) Found newspapers

Franklin was born in: (A) 1706 (B) 1725 (C) 1730 (D) 1740 Franklin formed a debating society called: (A) The Junto (B) The Forensics Society of Philadelphia (C) The Anti-Stamp Act Association (D) The Skilled Orators Society Early in his life, Franklin considered founding: (A) A political party called the Party for Virtue (B) An organization to fight cancer (C) A swimming league in North Carolina (D) A separate homeland for Native Americans just north of Albany The Autobiography ends around the year: (A) 1753, when Franklin becomes Postmaster General (B) 1757, during Franklin's trip to England (C) 1776, after the g of the Declaration of Independence (D) In the late 1780s, just before Franklin's death Franklin is generally credited with the founding of: (A) Harvard (B) Yale (C) Brown (D) University of Pennsylvania Franklin's major newspaper, which he took over in 1729, was: (A) The Boston Globe (B) The Pennsylvania Gazette (C) The Philadelphia Enquirer (D) The True American One of the major critics who wrote a condemnation of Franklin's Autobiography was: (A) Thomas Jefferson (B) Franklin's son William (C) D. H. Lawrence (D) Stephen King

Part Two of the Autobiography is best described as a(n): (A) of Franklin's ideas for improving the social policy in Philadelphia (B) Explanation of the founding of the fire brigade (C) Story about the American Revolution (D) Self-help manual for the attainment of virtue All four parts of Franklin's Autobiography were published and released together in English for the first time: (A) Several years before Franklin's death (B) In 1790, the year of Franklin's death (C) In 1851, to mark the 50th anniversary of the g of the Declaration of Independence (D) In 1868, when John Bigelow compiled all of Franklin's diverse notes Apart from the Autobiography, Franklin is perhaps best ed in print for his: (A) Questions on the Study of Human Psychology (B) Poor Richard's Almanac (C) Common Sense (D) Memories of the American Revolution Franklin gives brief mention in the Autobiography to the death of: (A) His son, which happened in 1736 (B) His wife, which happened in 1774 (C) His father, which happened in 1718 (D) His daughter, which happened in 1743 The bulk of the Autobiography was written in: (A) 1773 (B) 1760 and 1788 (C) 1771, 1784 and 1788 (D) 1771, 1788 and 1792

Further Reading Lemay, Leo, and P.M. Zall, eds. Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography. New York: W.W. Norton, 1986. Masur, Louis, ed. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. New York: Bedford Books, 1993. Hart, James D. The Oxford Companion to American Literature (Fifth Edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1983.

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Table of Contents Part One, first section Part One, second section Part One, third section Part Two Part Three, first section Part Three, second section Part Three, third section, and Part Four