Free Time Periods By Nathanial Hawthorne And Benjamin Franklin

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

Franklin viewed success as something he had to active and work hard at it. According to the text, “I was about this time I conceived the bold and arduous project of arriving moral perfection. I wished to live without any fault at any time” (141). Franklin's needed to improve his character in order to achieve what he strived for which was moral perfection. He felt that he needed to be perfect at everything which is not to something a person can achieve overnight.

In addition, Benjamin was a hardworking man. There were thirteen names of virtues that he considered. These virtues show how Benjamin Franklin was a hardworking man. Some of them are temperance, frugality, and industry. “Temperance means eat not to dullness and drink not to elevation” (pg.95). This quote shows that Benjamin Franklin was a hardworking man because he never got drunk

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 wrote his autobiography to help citizens of America, and inform them on his life accomplishments. Franklin wanted to help citizens prosper in their lives just like he did. Franklin gives tips and lays out ways to be a better person throughout his autobiography. The main example of his exigence is the virtues he explains. A few of the virtues Franklin explains are, “ Order- Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time. Industry- Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions. Tranquility- Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.” Franklin includes these virtues in his autobiography to provide the reader with ways to become a more successful person in life. Franklin wanted to give readers of his autobiography an outline of how to become successful in life through a few quick and easy steps. Olaudah Equiano’s main exigence or purpose for writing his autobiography is to provide the reader with knowledge of slavery. Equiano wanted everyone to know how cruel slavery was, and how unfair and poorly slaves were treated. He did this through telling his story as a slave during late 1700s. Equiano supports his purpose with

The visionary outlined his plans for the institution in a reading titled, Proposals relating to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania. As a means of resolving public health issues and providing care for the physically or mentally ill., Franklin constructed the idea for the first map for a public hospital in Pennsylvania. The final bit of philanthropic advice given from Franklin outlines a list of the 13 virtues necessary to live a virtuous life. Franklin mastered all of the virtues on his list and felt that others could benefit from his system “not [by] attempting the whole at once, but [by fixing] one of them at a time” (Franklin, 96). As a philanthropist, Franklin continuously sought after ways to improve his community. With the help of his Junto, Franklin succeeded in leading new undertakings of social advancement. “He expressed his hope to produce something for the common Benefit of Mankind” (Franklin, 6).

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.

The affliction of vanity appears regularly throughout both pieces of work by Franklin and Woolman. The two men seem to be hampered by this vice of pride and wishing to possess humility. Benjamin Franklin addresses this burden of appearing vain as an issue and aims to improve himself with his constituted principles. He lists “Humility” as his last virtue he aspires to develop so as to “Imitate Jesus and Socrates” (Franklin, 79). How ironic of Franklin to want to be humble, yet strive for moral perfection! Franklin so much as prides himself on this list of virtues that heavily influences his life. However, he accordingly considers pride to be one of the most difficult to overcome considering one can “disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself...” (Franklin,

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

Franklin, himself climbed the ranks society “having emerged from the poverty and obscurity in which [he] was born and bred to a state of affluence and some degree of reputation in the world” (Franklin 27). He had been raised by a humble middle class family, not being promised much wealth or land, forcing him to make a name for himself. Franklin, a man of the enlightenment,

Additionally, Benjamin Franklin emphasizes that he was only able to succeed through an unyielding work ethic. Through the patterns he laid out throughout his life, Benjamin Franklin was able to show us time and time again that even the most ordinary individuals, through hard work, one can in fact turn into respected figures of our society. If you take the American Dream today for example; the ability to rise from nothing through hard and arduous work, we are usually thinking of the model set forth by Benjamin Franklin. Furthermore, Benjamin Franklin connects the idea of outstanding skills, meticulous work ethics, and a prudent lifestyle to high

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.

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

Response 1: I think that Benjamin Franklin can be both admired and ridiculed for his plan to be “perfect” in a sense. In the book, he makes a list of virtues that make a person better and he wishes to accomplish it in 13 weeks, doing one each week. Franklin creating a list of good behaviors is something to be admired of because the list is composed of helpful rules that morally make a better person. But, the part that is ridiculed is when he decides to accomplish all 13 in a short amount of time when realistically, it would take a lot more time for good behaviors to become a habit. He says he had added “Humility” to his list because he was being a dandy and he was too proud upon himself. When someone finally notified him of this behavior, he decided to change it and added it to the list. When Franklin says he had accomplished following all of the virtues successfully (pg.56), he is going against one of the virtues he had put down in his list which is “Humility”. I would support Franklin’s theory of self-righteous by following the list because the list does make sense and could help better a person’s life and way of thinking. It would make the

Although Tom Buchannan doesn’t represent Franklin’s version of hard work, his college friend, Nick Carraway does. Nick is not lazy nor relies on family wealth. He comes to New York to learn about the bond business and work hard to earn money himself rather than depend on his family’s wealth. In addition, Carraway is one of those people who have “ a sense of the fundamental decencies” (Fitzgerald 2). Overall, unlike Tom, Carraway exhibits respect and admiration for others regardless of their social status.