Benjamin Franklin
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It has always been a common belief in the United States that there is nothing that cannot be obtained through hard work and diligence. During the eighteenth century, Benjamin Franklin was so inspired by this belief that he lived his life striving towards the American dream. In his autobiography, he instructs his readers not just how to live as a good person, but how to live as an American. In this excerpt of the Autobiography, Franklin exemplifies the American Dream as self-righteous, morally obedient, and authoritative. The proposal from Franklins story has served as an ideal demonstration of what we as Americans should strive to become in our lives.
In his autobiography, Ben Franklin is not shy about his self opinion; he is aware if the success that he has worked hard to obtain in his life. Just as he is proud of his personal accomplishments, Franklin sees his work towards creating the American dream as fulfilling and satisfying.
During the eighteenth century, America was a place where anyone could come to get away from their problems and work to begin a new life in freedom. Franklin tells the story in his autobiography of how he was a self-made man. Even though he grew up in a poor household, he still followed his dreams and became one of the most influential people in American history. On page 39, Franklin describes himself as “having emerged from the poverty in which [he] was born and bred, to a state of affluence and some degree of reputation in the world.” Franklins America was one of a common idea of building a successful new nation versus the selfish man who only thinks for himself.
Although Benjamin Franklin was raised Presbyterian, he had some unique religious views and moral standards. He describes on page 51 that the Presbyterian views seemed “unintelligible, others doubtful and I early absented myself from the public assemblies of the sect”. Even though Franklin did not believe in these specific views, he still respected all types of religion, and encouraged his fellow Americans to follow their personal religious views. He says on page 51 that he “respected them all, though with different degrees of respect.” Through Franklins encouragement of different types of religion for the Americans of his time period, he began to form a piece of the puzzle of the American dream.
In Franklins autobiography, he chooses some words and phrases that suggest that he feels he is more intelligent than the average man. Although he feels superior to his fellow