Gerardo Gamino
Ms. Hoffman
AP English Language
15, February 2013
Nothing Brings More Pain than Too Much Pleasure Benjamin Franklin argues that an overly excessive amount of something good is bad. I firmly agree with Franklin’s claim, and have seen the justification of this concept in American society, history, literature, and my own personal experiences. American society is notorious for the advocation of excess wealth and pleasure and the unanimous goal of expanding knowledge and possession. Franklin’s argument applies to American society through the lives of its people. Jimi Hendrix, an undisputed Rock legend and master guitarist quickly arose to fame after his initial debut. Hendrix yearned to become famous and make an impact in
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After the compromise of 1850, hostilities between the North and the South escalated. This was due to the issues of free soil versus slave soil, fugitive slave laws, and expansion. Hostilities between the two grew to cause the American Civil War, the bloodiest and most costly in American lives. Son was turned against father, brother against brother. Exorbitant compromise, exorbitant hatred, and exorbitant pride all tore the nation in half. The South seceded from the country, and established its own separate nation. This entire conflict erupted because to much compromise. It was not until the nation’s leaders took initiative and outlawed slavery, which should have been done decades before, that United States was able to win the war and repair the country. However, the reformation after this war was never fully effective. Literature also acts as another medium of justification for Franklin’s claim. The world’s best selling book, the Holy Bible, in more than one instance demonstrates that too much of a good thing is bad. The Bible’s oldest story, the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, is an ideal example. Adam and Eve, the first humans, lived in abundance in the Garden of Eden and had all they ever needed. It is safe to say that they truly had limitless freedom. However, this caused Eve to become curious and do the only thing forbidden to them, eating of the tree of knowledge and wisdom. As she did so, Adam
America’s transformation into the country we live in today has been formed through numerous events during its short history but the event that will split the United States into North versus South is truly one of the most defining events in American history. Through numerous events leading up to the start of the Civil War, I will attempt to show how the United States was destined for conflict and that the Civil War was inevitable. The first way I will show how the war could not be avoided will deal with the issue of slavery. Slavery should be the first mentioned because many conflicts within the United States leading up to the Civil War and the division of the United States dealt with slavery. The Missouri Compromise should also be talked
Thesis: In his autobiography, Franklin is undoubtedly concerned with developing virtue and self-improvement, but relies on others as the primary frame of reference for his own progress, always measuring himself with others. This habit of comparison results in the development of vices as well as virtues.
The United States of America was very divided even as they were becoming more powerful. Without agreements such as the Missouri and ⅗ Compromise, our great nation may not have continued to be united after the Civil War. Along with compromises came sectional differences between the North and South. Matters such as slavery, economics, and representation in Congress were present when the U.S was founded in 1776. The North was against slavery, wanted more free states, and had lots of money in industries. The South was pro-slavery, their economy was based off of agriculture, and wanted to expand their slave states. While there were many factors that led up to the Civil War, failure to compromise about the morality of slavery, politics, and the economy
Prior to Civil War, distinct Northern and Southern cultures had been established; The free North occupied the commercial industry, while the slavery-based South undertook an agricultural occupation. The South and the North began to fight over right and wrong. The major issue was regarding slavery, as the South wanted to preserve slavery while, the North wanted to get rid of it. These conflicts rose into sectional antagonism and eventually put the United States and President Lincoln in a loophole. During the Civil War however, Lincoln made some extremely controversial decisions, that resulted in a reduction of the sectional antagonism present, and the United States became truly “one nation.”
Benjamin Franklin came up with the idea to make his life better by trying to be perfect in every way. This can otherwise be known as trying to reach a state of moral perfection, in which one could find themselves being happy with the life they live, and also living a pure, sinless life. It has come to be questioned if attempting to achieve moral perfection is a worthwhile goal. In the end of his experiment he ended up not being able to reach or achieve his goal but learned a very crucial, very valuable lesson. He discovered throughout the recesses of his journey that achieving his goal would be found to be impossible, but in turn he learned that many of the virtues are good to try and maintain during everyday activities and through life
Benjamin Franklin and Ralph Waldo Emerson propose certain principles for the conduct of life. Franklin is very clear in his proposed principles for life, as he clearly states them in his “The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin”. One of his main principles is the concept of hard work. Franklin believes that the best way to succeed in life is to work hard. Hard work is a key element in how to conduct one’s life. Franklin also touches on the idea that religion allows people to live in good conduct in their lives, as it gives people good values they must uphold. This also contributes to the principle that he believes in, which
“And now I speak of thanking God, I desire with all Humility to acknowledge, that I owe the mention'd Happiness of my past Life to his kind Providence, which led me to the Means I us'd and gave them Success.” (Franklin, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, 28) I chose this quote to open this essay because it’s one of the first things Franklin talks about when he takes over in his autobiography. It shows that he has a relationship with god because he gives god the credit for all of the things he had accomplished. Throughout his biography he mentions religion quite a few times. He opposes organized religion, which according to him consists of: Attending Church,
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
The American Civil War and the American Revolution had some distinct similarities, but their reasons for war and their outcome could lead one to think of the Civil War much like a second American Revolution. During the eighteenth century, America became very diverse with the growth of the colonies. Their social and political climates began to change drastically from that of their rulers, the British. Similarly, the same is to be said of America during the Civil War with the Northern and Southern states, though it was because of the Southerner’s right to own slaves. The British did not like the colonies’ rebellious behavior, and the Northern states did not like that slavery still existed.
In the later half of nineteenth century America, the new nation’s original ability to resolve conflict through means of peaceful compromise had vanished. Various spans of conflict such as Westward Expansion, the Market Revolution, Sectionalism, Mexican American War, the succession of the southern states and ultimately the failure of the Compromise of 1850 that made compromise between the North and the South unattainable. It was the uncompromising differences amongst the free and slave states over the power of the national government that created a divide that would result in divisional violence. From the industrialized North, the agricultural South, Jackson’s Presidency to Lincoln’s and the rise in America 's involvement in politics that followed, slavery was merely one pawn on the board during America’s transforming years that would later reveal itself to have been the vehicle for the Civil War.
It was the year 1706 in Boston, MA when Benjamin Franklin entered the world. Birthed after fourteen other siblings, Franklin's family structure is only one deciding factor in the way that this legendary tale pans out. A hero of American Revolution, this novel depicts 18th century realism accurately while logging Franklin's personal conception on human nature and social community. Many look at Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography as your typical rags to riches tale yet, the truth and falsehood throughout the pages is unknown, raising many questions and concerns. As this book was written in segments over a stretched period of time, we must analyze this account of his life, the struggles and successes which took place, and the outcome of such
By looking at Benjamin Franklin’s use of metaphor in comparing the attempt at perfection in a human to that in an axe, it is evident that he believes perfection is a laborious task, which proves that, in explaining the difficulty of fulfillment, he is attempting to persuade people to adhere to his lifestyle, as it will produce the desired results. Benjamin Franklin, throughout his life, wrote many articles about his ideas regarding the achievement of perfection in all aspects of life. Immediately succeeding one such article, he explains the difficulty of obtaining said superiority by using the metaphor of a man grinding a speckled axe upon a stone repeatedly to make its surface flawless before conceding that an imperfect axe is easier to attain and therefore best.. To illustrate the cause of the man’s failure, Franklin says that “...this may have been the case with many who, having, for want of some such means as I employed, found the difficulty of obtaining good... have given up the struggle, and concluded that a speckled axe was best…” He states that many people who do not have the instruments for perfection that he himself wields, have found that obtaining it is too challenging, which leads to capitulation.
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.
Benjamin Franklin was one of the first and most famous scientists in America. He was a man of many talents and interests. Franklin was always curios about they way things work, and he always tried to find ways to make them work better. Even though he started out as a published, he was always interested in science. However this interest soon became a passion to Franklin. He even retired from his publishing business to work in a laboratory with his mostly homemade equipment. Throughout his life Benjamin Franklin made many important discoveries and theories which greatly influenced future scientists and inventors.