Autobiography By Benjamin Franklin
Sofía Goldthwait
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In the letter to William, however, Franklin hints at a much broader purposefor the Autobiography than simply to recount family history or evenFranklin's own history. Franklin, who is justifiably proud of his rise from"Poverty and Obscurity" to "some Degree of Reputation in the World" (p. 43),believes his story can also be instructive on a wider scale:
the conducing Means I made use of, which, with the Blessing of God, so wellsucceeded, my Posterity may like to know, as they may find some of themsuitable to their own Situations, and therefore fit to be imitated. (p. 43)
It was about this time that I conceiv'd the bold and arduous Project ofarriving at moral Perfection. I wish'd to live without committing any Fault atany time; I would conquer all that either Natural Inclination, Custom, orCompany might lead me into. (p. 148)
I use the word startling simply because the average reader may besurprised, if not stunned, to hear someone plan to arrive at "moral Perfection"(especially with a straight face), but Franklin, who has already proven that hecan transform himself by imitating good habits, sees no impediments to becomingperfect through another set of imitations of behavior.
Holliday, Stephen. "What does Franklin state as the purpose of The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin?" edited by eNotes Editorial, 11 Dec. 2019, -benjamin-franklin/questions/what-according-to-franklin-is-the-purpose-of-the-557511.
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin tells most of the life storyof Benjamin Franklin. He started writing his autobiography in 1771, but wasunable to finish it before his death in 1790. Although it tells a lot about hisearlier life, the autobiography does not delve into his life during theAmerican Revolution or his time as a diplomat in Paris, both of which wereimportant parts of his life and our history.
He did describe his early life with the purpose of telling his son what hislife was like. Franklin tried to learn more about his own relatives, but due topoor record keeping was unable to do so. As a result, he wrote thisautobiography so that his son would know who he was as a person.
Robison, Joelle. "What does Franklin state as the purpose of The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin?" edited by eNotes Editorial, 11 Dec. 2019, -benjamin-franklin/questions/what-according-to-franklin-is-the-purpose-of-the-557511.
Franklin starts out his autobiography by explaining that he once madeinquiries about his relatives in England. He wanted to know more about them,and, clearly, there wasn't an easily obtainable record of their lives availableto him. He recounts this memory to his son as an explanation of why he'swriting his autobiography.
He also goes on to say that he started life in poverty and was completelyunknown. Of course, throughout his lifetime, Franklin gained both money andinfluence. He says that when people who come later are living their life andfacing problems, they may find wisdom or guidance in his words or be able toimitate his choices.
Willson, Lauren. "What does Franklin state as the purpose of The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin?" edited by eNotes Editorial, 28 Mar. 2019, -benjamin-franklin/questions/what-according-to-franklin-is-the-purpose-of-the-557511.
Franklin, writing to his son William, says in part I of TheAutobiography that, as he has some leisure time, he wants to tell his sonthe story of his early life. Franklin was about 65 at the time he began thememoir. He had lived, to put it mildly, a jam-packed and significant life.Knowing he might be nearing the end of his time on earth, he wanted to passdown his history, ideas, and memorable experiences, first to his son, and laterto the public at large.
The first part of the work, written in 1771 as a letter to William, was notinitially meant for publication. The second part, which covers the years from1730 onward, was written with an eye to publication. It is more formal than thefirst part. In 1784, when he resumed the work, he changed the focus of thememoir, wanting it to be primarily of help to young people.
Even the more formal parts are written in an engaging and conversationalstyle. It is clear that, with his emphasis on being a self-made man, ratherthan a person to the manor born, Franklin was self-consciously engaged inhelping to create the mythos of a new, democratic republic. Like other writersof the period, such as Washington Irving, he was depicting the robust, active,energetic, and resourceful American male as superior to the European aristocratliving on inherited wealth. We would be hard put to find a figure who moreexemplifies the American spirit of thrift, hard work, and commonsense than BenFranklin.
were it offer'd to my Choice, I should have no Objection to a Repetition ofthe same Life from its Beginning, only asking the Advantage Authors have in asecond Edition to correct some Faults of the first. So would I if Imight, besides correcting the Faults, change some sinister Accidents and Eventsof it for others more favorable....
From this brief quotation, the reader can see that Franklin wishes that hisown experiences serve as a model for future generations, here represented bythe metaphor of the "second Edition" of a book. Ideally, readers would beable to correct "the Faults" that Franklin himself has made (and refers to asErrata throughout the book). Thus, his goal is to create a kind ofblueprint whereby readers can make their lives "more favorable" than his own ina kind of endless Enlightenment project of self-improvement.
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