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Benjamin Franklin Compare And Contrast Essay

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It seems logical that a wealthy landowner from Virginia would have had nothing in common with a lowly printer from Pennsylvania. The socio-economic barrier and the mindsets of the people in these occupations among other variables created a vast divide between the two. When ignoring these two factors, however, one can observe that the essences of William Byrd and Benjamin Franklin were very similar. But this presents the following query: if these two were similar when ignoring their status, then shouldn’t they be similar if they had the same occupation in the same place? At their core, Benjamin Franklin and William Byrd were similar, and the contrasts between the two resulted from the differences in their respective environments. When he would …show more content…

For a good amount of his life, he has been concerned about how to become wealthy. Now that he is, it will be hard for him to adjust. Although he would be great at the business aspect of being a wealthy Virginia landowner, he wouldn’t be good at the social obligations. Franklin preached that one should “[cut] off all amusements or other employments that would divert his attention [and] make the execution of that same plan [one’s] sole study and business”. However, as an aristocrat, it seems that the primary goal is to maintain appearances. In his previous job, Franklin did this by working and staying out of trouble; for an aristocrat, one does this by hosting and attending dinner parties and other social gatherings. Franklin might not be used to this at first, but he will get used to it eventually. In his work, The Way to Wealth, Franklin says that “in short, the way to wealth, if you desire it, is as plain as the way to market. It depends chiefly on two words: industry and frugality. Waste neither time nor money, but make the best use of both. He that gets all he can honestly, and saves all he can, will certainly become rich.” Clearly, he believes in doing whatever it takes to be successful; if hosting and attending these events necessary, he will do

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