Not only was the American Dream shown throughout The Bread Givers, it was also shown throughout the life of Ben Franklin. Ever since Ben was a young boy he was always very eager to learn and educate himself as much as possible, which laid out the foundation for Ben Franklin’s life. Ben grew up in a Boston with his parents and his seventeen siblings. He originally intended on following his father’s footsteps and becoming a minister, but that career path quickly changed when Ben showed significant interest in reading and writing. From there, he became an apprentice to his brother, James, who published the “New England Courant”. After some fighting, the brothers went separate ways. Ben moved away from home, to New York, with no connections or money. “I found myself in New York, …show more content…
In New York, he met many people, one of them being Governor Keith. Keith eventually convinced Ben to go to London with him. When Ben got to London and realized that there was nothing that Keith promised, he again worked as a compositor. After some time, Ben travelled back to Philadelphia and started his very own printing house where he published, “The Pennsylvania Gazette”. Then he married his true love, Rebecca Read, after some time apart due to his business venture to London. After this, Ben started to focus on the community around him. He founded the Philadelphia Library, formed a union fire company in Philadelphia, founded the University of Pennsylvania and aided in the founding of hospitals in the Philadelphia area. “ And now I set on foot my first project of a public nature, that for a subscription library.” (***). This quote shows Ben’s willingness to provide for his community; in this case, a library. Along with his help in founding a great deal of things, he also invented some useful things for his community, such as the Franklin Stove. From this point on in his life, Ben became a huge community figure and helped through many
In 1731 he established one of the first subscription libraries in America, the Library Company of Philadelphia., under the pen name Richard Saunders. He also helped to found the first firehouse, Philadelphia's Union Fire Company and an insurance company, the Philadelphia Contribution for Insurance Against Loss by Fire. In 1737, Ben was appointed deputy postmaster of Philadelphia.
The image and the values promoted in Franklin's autobiography would later come to be regarded as essential American virtues: determination, industriousness, and self-sufficiency. It was purportedly these virtues which led to his great practical accomplishments in publishing, politics, and science. In a sense, Franklin's autobiography was the first exposition of the now-famous American Dream.
Benjamin Franklin’s life made a huge impact on the history of America. He also was an influence for many citizens. Since Franklin lived during the eighteenth century, a period of growth for America, he also played a part in the political founding of the United States. To help future generations, Franklin wrote an autobiography of his life. An autobiography is a piece of literature about someone’s own life. He separates his into four parts, each one depicting a different phase of his life. In The Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin, the author uses his life events to describe values and ways of life that every man should believe and follow.
In The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, we are reading the path that one man took to go from a middle class child to a well respected adult. Benjamin Franklin created what we know today as the American dream. Today we understand the American dream to be that one can go from rags to riches with a little hard work. The autobiography is based around the age of reason and a time man was thought to be able to be perfected by means of science and invention. The Autobiography of Benjamin
As a founding father of the United States, Benjamin Franklin had a profound and noteworthy influence on the early growth of his nation. Franklin was a prestigious author and inventor that grasped the motive to grow the economy to new heights. His autobiography is an accurate representation of his achievements and the intrinsic motivations that made him the man we think of today. Although it is biased because he writes it only through his eyes, the reader can see the differences he made to the well-being of the United States of America throughout his life. Throughout his autobiography, Benjamin Franklin draws a vivid image of the many contributions he made to society through community service events while at the same time staying true to his virtues that guided his character. He changed society through the improvement of education, healthcare, transportation, and numerous other community projects throughout his lifetime.
Founding father Benjamin Franklin described the American dream as the “pursuit of a better existence… a higher quality of life through hard work, determination, and devotion” (Benjamin Franklin). The American dream is an idea that if you work hard, you can rise from “rags to riches” and live a wealthy and prosperous life with moral values of respect and integrity. Ironically, Franklin’s version of the dream was decaying during the roaring 1920s when society became corrupt and obsessed with greed. In his classic book, The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald shows how the American dream of “hard work, determination, and devotion” was deteriorating because society had become greedy and materialistic. In addition, moral values were in decline and that
In The Autobiography, Benjamin Franklin recounts the many paramount experiences throughout his life that shaped him into great American figure he was known to be. On the opening page, Franklin reveals the book’s epistolary format by writing, “Dear Son,” going on to admit that he’s made some mistakes in the past and to recollect that past is a way to relive it. By divulging his desire to “change some sinister Accidents & Events” (Franklin 3) the author indicates how important it is for his son to observe as he amends his mistakes. Pride, virtue and vanity play a pivotal role in Benjamin Franklin’s life and the way he portrays himself to others. Instances occur where the author is shown gloating about his great accomplishments and he puts
His autobiography is the first example of the completion of the American Dream. Franklin talks about his life history as an example to exemplify the most significant American character and principles, like strength of mind, self-reliance, determination, hard work, penny-pinching, and dependence on a code of moral principles are the elements of achievement. He describes how he became an excellent citizen through lack of money and steady assiduousness. Franklin established the potential of life in the New World through his own rise of the social classes. His family was poor when he was a child, but despite that, he became a very rich and influential man. In addition, he declares that he pulled off his achievements through a diligent work ethic. He showed that even ordinary people in Boston possibly would, through industry, turn out to be great people of significance in America.
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is a detailed account of the illustrious experiences of Benjamin Franklin. Though the cultural differences in writing has changed since the 18th century one can learn a lot about one of America’s greatest forefathers through this book. It accounts for Franklin’s life when he was born January 17th, 1706 till the year 1757. Unfortunately, he died in 1790 and was never able to finish his autobiography. However, the book thoroughly details the early life of Benjamin Franklin.
Furthermore, the idea of the American Dream is seen throughout the pages written by Franklin. He is one of the original theorists for a virtuousness life and what that entails, ultimately depicting how principles are the guiding force in one's life. For him, principles are more important than organized religion in terms of living one's life honorably and well, or of doing good. In his opinion, religion is important because we find his mentioning of God numerous times yet, to Franklin principles help you work on doing good things for the sake of it and not a higher being. In The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, the hardest virtue to work on is humility, that is because even if you manage to be humble, that's something to be proud of. Thrift and frugality are easier to manage, but just as important: practicing them gives you time to concentrate on the things that matter, like improving your mind or working for the common good. To hold these virtues one will be able to gain affluence and reputation which ultimately equates to gaining the American Dream. In his step-by-step guide to engaging the renowned life, Franklin suggests that your personal success adds to societal success, in turn placing cooperation of all
Just this small page revealed more to the reader than many other articles about Franklin can. A perfectionistic attitude within the usually glorified hero of America. He was very hard on himself, and clearly tried to live a frugal lifestyle. As a historic character who is often glorified, this human perspective was
In spite of the fact that Franklin was hardly a puritan, he was nevertheless very much a child of the Puritans. This is not displayed merely in his promotion of the virtues, but in his abstaining from excessiveness in eating, drinking, conversation, or whatever. Franklin is strongly influenced with self-governance In numerous ways, this is, to someone coming to it for the first time, a very amazing book. Franklin is, of course, one of the most celebrated Americans who ever lived, and his credentials in a wide arrangement of endeavors are a part of American knowledge and popular history. A great deal of this knowledge and numerous of his accomplishments are missing from this account of his life. He never finished the autobiography, earlier in his life on account of the fact that he was too engaged with what he terms public employment’s, and later in life by virtue of the opium he was taking for kidney stones left him incapable to concentrate adequately. Had Franklin been able to write about every period of his life and all of his achievements, his autobiography would have been one of the most exceptional and outstanding documents every produced. It is astonishingly imperious. However, his record as an office-holder is stained by the use he made of his position to advance his relatives. He was one of the most important statesmen in the new America and was a historical figure who shaped our nations history. He was a very
It is easy to see Benjamin Franklin was no doubt an archetypal American. No one since him has ever had the same amount of success as him. He was a private businessman who made enough money to retire early and to spend the rest of his life in politics. Around this time period only the rich were able to retire early. He was industrious. Franklin continually put forth the idea of the industrious American. He had support from the middle-class who did not care if he was rich but he was a man who was self-made and worked hard. This American attitude was formed early and most of it by him. Franklin was also not judgmental came to decisions and conclusions as a businessman and politician. However, his attitude was non-judgmental with respect to a
Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography is an inspiring tale of his personal, as well as public achievement throughout his life. Franklin’s life embodies the exemplary model of a life composed of discipline, self-reliance and self improvement. From his humble beginnings as an apprentice candle and soap maker in his father’s business to a successful business man, author, philosopher, civil activist, politician scientist, inventor, and diplomat, above all Benjamin Franklin was, and still is, an American Icon and truly a pioneer of the American Dream.
Ben Franklin’s autobiography is a prime example of the American Dream. He starts life in a large family and is sent to find work fairly early. He grows into an educated, humble, and honorable man. Through his work in printing and writing he develops a formidable business and makes some money. Throughout his life he focuses greatly on achieving perfection, but finds that is not very practical, however it does lead him to happiness. He wrote this autobiography as a path, to live a life of virtue, mainly for his son. However, it has become a moral guide and tale of the so called American Dream. While there are several ways to interpret his writing and his character, Benjamin Franklin is one of the best examples of a pure and honest American.