The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

According to Franklin, a poor person might give away more rapidly than a rich person due to the fear of being perceived as poor, leading them to be more generous than they can afford. This behavior...

Franklin's statement that one can find or make a reason for everything one has a mind to do is an exaggeration. He uses his reasoning, which is valid, to justify the change of his opinion on...

Both Franklin's and Equiano's autobiographies use modes of persuasion—logos, pathos, and ethos—to convey their messages effectively. Franklin uses logic to illustrate his pursuit of the American...

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin employs several literary devices, including the epistle format, first-person narrative, and anecdotes to convey lessons. Franklin uses chronological and topical...

Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography primarily aimed to provide a family history for his son, William, detailing his life circumstances. However, Franklin also intended it as a broader guide for future...

Benjamin Franklin was a very well rounded character that had many talents and skills. He was witty, wise, intelligent, hard working, and had an independent mind.

In The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Franklin promotes individualism through his emphasis on self-improvement, personal responsibility, and practical wisdom. He advocates for different kinds...

Franklin lists temperance first among his thirteen virtues because it fosters the self-discipline needed to achieve the others. By controlling primal urges related to food and drink, one can maintain...

John Winthrop (1588–1649) was the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony that was founded in the year 1630. The colony was formed to escape the discrimination and persecution people experienced...

A first example of a point of argument Franklin uses in The Autobiography is found in his account of his success in owning a stationer's shop while his former employer, Keimer, failed. Franklin...

Although Franklin uses the term errata in The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin to refer to his mistakes as a young man, he sees them as ultimately good things. By reflecting on his past...

We have lost a sense of perfection, in part, because we have gained more understanding of the frailties of human beings.

By “virtue,” Benjamin Franklin means a positive quality that leads people toward moral perfection. He says that virtue is difficult because human nature is passionate and contradictory. Virtue is...

Most similes compare things in a limited way. Sometimes, however, a writer develops a simile with details. The completed comparison is called an analogy.

Benjamin Franklin's autobiography provides insights into colonial America's daily life, highlighting the challenges of travel and a multiethnic society. Franklin's journey from Boston to Philadelphia...

Franklin starts his program with temperance because he believes it is foundational to intellectual progress. His early experiments with a temperate, vegetarian lifestyle, inspired by Thomas Tryon,...

Benjamin Franklin’s idea of virtue connects to John Winthrop’s “A Model of Christian Charity” because they advocate similar behaviors like frugality and humility.