autobiography of benjamin franklin themes

Benjamin Franklin is remembered in the United States as one the country's founding fathers for good reason. Among his many civic achievements described in the Autobiography are the founding of Philadelphia's (and the country's) first public lending library, the first company of firemen, a graduated property tax, Philadelphia's first paved roads, the University of Pennsylvania ...

Defining the American Dream. Benjamin Franklin's autobiography may mark the creation of the American Dream, understanding America as a place where—free from the rigid class construction and generational prejudices of European history—any person could attain wealth and distinction simply by working hard enough.The tale that Franklin creates for himself is the prototypical rags-to-riches ...

The Importance of Self-Improvement. Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography revolves around his dedication to self-improvement in his quest to become a successful "self-made" man. Living in a time of vast scientific developments and philosophical debates, Franklin depicts his commitment to continuous self-improvement and autodidacticism as the ...

This theme is closely linked to "self-improvement" and "public service." Time and again, the words "useful" and "utility" occur in the Autobiography, always in a positive context. Franklin describes his friend Dr. Fothergill, for example, as "a great promoter of useful projects." In his childhood young Ben was compelled to juxtapose usefulness ...

Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography is an intriguing work for many reasons. First, Franklin lived an interesting and eventful life at a time in history when he made a real difference. Second, his ...

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is concerned with memory. The whole idea of writing your life story is sharing that memory with readers. Franklin's autobiography is a work of memory, a "reco...

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentlemen by Laurence Sterne can be seen as a related work as, though fiction, it parodies both the narrative of self-improvement and the writing style of the gentlemen memoirists (like Franklin) of the day. The Confessions of Jean Jacques Rousseau are also particularly linked with Franklin's Autobiography in that they provide the life history of a ...

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is one of the most famous, beloved, and lauded works of American letters; it is also the first autobiography to achieve widespread popularity and is a classic of the genre. It sheds light on the life of one of America's Founding Fathers, a man singular in his confluence of intellect, wit, ingenuity, perspicacity, and self-awareness.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is the traditional name for the unfinished record of his own life written by Benjamin Franklin from 1771 to 1790; however, Franklin appears to have called the work his Memoirs.Although it had a tortuous publication history after Franklin's death, this work has become one of the most famous and influential examples of an autobiography ever written.

Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography is both an important historical document and Franklin's major literary work. It was not only the first autobiography to achieve widespread popularity, but after two hundred years remains one of the most enduringly popular examples of the genre ever written. As such, it provides not only the story of Franklin ...

Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (The) By Rachel Lewis. Over eighteen years, from 1771 until his death, Benjamin Franklin (1706-90) composed an unfinished record of his life's tribulations and successes. Written in simple, often humorous language, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin offered readers in the new United States an accessible ...

Benjamin Franklin was born in Milk Street, Boston, on January 6, 1706. His father, Josiah Franklin, was a tallow chandler who married twice, and of his seventeen children Benjamin was the youngest son. His schooling ended at ten, and at twelve he was bound apprentice to his brother James, a printer, who published the "New England Courant."

Analysis. Benjamin Franklin begins writing Part One of his Autobiography in 1771 at the age of 65 while on a country vacation in England in the town of Twyford. In the opening pages, he addresses his son, William, the Royal Governor of New Jersey, telling him that he, Benjamin, has always taken pleasure in hearing stories about his family ...

Page. Portrait of Franklin. vii. Pages 1 and 4 of The Pennsylvania Gazette, Number XL, the first number after Franklin took control. xxi. First page of The New England Courant of December 4-11, 1721. 33 "I was employed to carry the papers thro' the streets to the customers" 36 "She, standing at the door, saw me, and thought I made, as I certainly did, a most awkward, ridiculous appearance"

Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790: Editor: Eliot, Charles William, 1834-1926: Title: The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Note: See also PG#20203 Ed: Frank Woodworth Pine and Illustrated by E. Boyd Smith Language: English: LoC Class: E300: History: America: Revolution to the Civil War (1783-1861) Subject: Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790 Subject

The Theme Wheel visualizes all of The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin 's themes and plot points on one page. How does the Theme Wheel work? Each wedge of the blue ring represents a section. Each row of colored boxes extending from a wedge represents a part of the section. The closer to the blue ring, the closer to the beginning of the section.

The autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790. Publication date 1895 Topics Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790, Statesmen Publisher Philadelphia : Henry Altemus Collection university_pittsburgh; americana Contributor University of Pittsburgh Library System Language English. 287 p. : 15 cm

Franklin composed it in fits and spurts between 1771 and 1790, and never had a chance to complete it, let alone publish it, in his lifetime. It was first published as a poor French translation of an unrevised edition of the manuscript, and then as a heavily-editorialized and inaccurate English edition by Franklin's son, William Temple Franklin.