American Literature Essay Benjamin Franklin wrote his autobiography in during the 1700’s about his life starting with his early childhood and through the last couple of year he was alive. Franklin speaks about his life comparing his actions to the Hero’s Journey; Call to Adventure, Crossing the Threshold, as well as Challenges and Temptations. The Hero’s Journey; originally called a Monomyth, was introduced and written by Joseph Campbell in his book; The Hero With A Thousand Faces published in 1949. The Hero’s Journey is a series of events that a person experiences on his or her way to becoming a true hero. Benjamin Franklin; in his autobiography, speaks about the hero’s journey, referencing his life to the Call to Adventure, Crossing the …show more content…
Crossing the Threshold is the action of already deciding to start the adventure, and completing the first stepping stone of the adventure. “At the end of Act One, the hero commits to leaving the Ordinary World and entering a new region or condition with unfamiliar rules and values.” “The hero is tested and sorts out allegiances in the Special World.” (Christopher Vogler) In this quotation, Christopher Vogler is speaking about the Crossing the Threshold, and Challenges and Temptations. After deciding to go on the adventure, the hero chooses to continue the adventure by going into the unknown; or also known as crossing the threshold. Once the hero crosses the threshold they are thrown many different challenges and temptations that will push the hero to his or her limits. After leaving Boston; where Benjamin Franklin worked with his brother, James he had to create a lie that he would tell to his father so that he could smoothy leave Boston and head to Philadelphia. Benjamin Franklin speaks with his friend about how he is going to get out of Boston. Collin comes up with the idea of telling the town that Benjamin got a women pregnant, and will run away and marry her privately. This is the first obstacle that is thrown at Benjamin on his “adventure” of crossing the threshold. “My friend Collins, therefore, undertook to manage a little for me. He agreed with the …show more content…
While back in America, Benjamin Franklin saves enough money to start his own printing press. At this point in his life, Franklin is continuing to write many of his books, exploring new ideas, and inventing. “It was about this time I conceived the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection. I wished to live without committing any fault at any time; I would conquer all that either natural inclination, custom, or company might lead me into. As I knew, or thought I knew, what was right and wrong, I did not see why I might not always do the one and avoid the other. But I soon found I had undertaken a task of more difficulty than I had imagined. While my care was employed in guarding against one fault, I was often surprised by another; habit took the advantage of inattention; inclination was sometimes too strong for reason.” ( Benjamin Franklin) In this quotation, Franklin is speaking about how his next chapter in life is to continue to attempt to become a better person. After all of the trial and tribulations, and the many challenges that are thrown at Benjamin Franklin. After all of the struggles that Benjamin Franklin endured throughout his life, towards the end; he finally found the success in his
“Benjamin Franklin lived his life in the spirit of a renaissance man: he was deeply interested in the world around him, and he excelled in several widely differing fields of human endeavor.” (“Home”). Franklin was born in Boston of 1706 where he was raised in a poor family and was unable to have an education for more than two years. At age 12, he was apprenticed by his older brother who worked in a printing business. Benjamin later became successful in the printing business and soon became successful through his inventions as well.
He related the story of a smith working on an axe and a customer decided that "a speckled axe is best" because good men should allow a few faults in himself for the sake of others. Benjamin Franklin claimed that he never completed his quest for moral perfection, but he did became happy. He stated, “I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far short of it, yet I was, by the endeavour, a better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it” (Franklin, Chapter
Some key and important characteristics he portrays along this journey includes his calling to adventure, crossing into the threshold,
In the year 1726, Benjamin Franklin set up his highest goal on the attainment of moral perfection. His perspective is portrayed in his quote. ” Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.” Franklin spent less time in leisure, as he found it unproductive.
He worked so well that the governor of Pennsylvania promised to set him up in business for himself if franklin would go to England and buy fonts, but the governor did not keep his promise and Franklin was forced to stay several months in England doing print work. Ben was living with the Read family before he left for London. Deborah, the same girl who had seen Franklin arrive in Philadelphia, started talking about marriage with young Franklin, but he did not think he was ready, so while he was away she married another man. When Franklin returned to Philadelphia, he tried to help out at a shop, but soon went back to being a printer’s helper. Ben was a better printer than the man he worked for, so he borrowed some money to make his own business.
His past experiences of religious dissent form a unique view towards liberty from established society. He states that rather than conforming to the Presbyterian worldview that involved “olemic Arguments, or Explications of the peculiar Doctrines of our Sect, and were all to [him] very dry, uninteresting, and unedifying” (Franklin 300), he chose to create his own moral code, encompassing his views on how a citizen ought to live. Among Franklin’s thirteen precepts towards a better life, the concept of liberty is paramount. He states that “Resolution once become habitual, would keep me firm in my Endeavors to obtain all the subsequent virtues; Frugality and Industry, by freeing me from my remaining Debt, and producing Affluence and Independence. ”(Franklin 303)
Benjamin Franklin was a man of honor and integrity. No matter his circumstances in life, Franklin was able to turn them around and make his quality of life better. Franklin didn’t wait around for someone else to conquer life’s problems; he came up with his own
Benjamin Franklin is known to be an “Archetypal American,” because of his beliefs on religion, self-improvement, hard work, and determination; but also his somewhat prideful spirit. Much of modern America is quite similar to Franklin in his actions throughout his lifetime. In his early years, Franklin’s father, Josiah, had a set plan for what he was supposed to do with his life, as a minister. Soon into his education, he found an interest in reading and writing, so he began pursuing a career in printing.
Research Tracker The Big Question: Why is Benjamin Franklin an American hero? +++++++++++++++++++++ Coding Your Sources Source 1 = "Franklin, Benjamin." Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia.
After realizing Franklin needed to change his ways he then came up with thirteen virtues to embody in his life. He took on each virtue at a time fully master it before moving to the next, to make sure he truly did practice what each one ment. Franklin “made a little book, in which I allotted a page for each of the virtues. I ruled each page with red ink, so as to have seven columns, one for each day of the week, marking each column with a letter for the day” (Franklin 116). The book allowed Franklin to take a step further on his self examination.
He talks about things from the “establishment, that which [he] first formed, called the Union Fire Company” (Franklin 82) which was a big deal back then to inventing a new fireplace. He writes about his good deeds because Franklin wants to show what good Americans can do. His son would probably not have care as much, but the general public would care how Americans can prosper. Part three is all about how he prospered, how he lived the ‘American Dream’ Some believe that Benjamin Franklin wrote about his good deeds because he wanted to show Great Britain how great America was. He wanted to show that they could grow and prosper, that the Americans do not need Great Britain to survive, that they are fine by themselves, maybe ever
Franklin claims that he has been living long enough to see errors that he made, therefore as he grow older, he tend to “doubt of [his] own judgment” because nobody is perfect due to his past experiences (43). The informations that Franklin presents is to show his reputation that he is not perfect, also his constitution but he is open minded and willing to make what is best for the people. The perspective errors of the constitution have, is being “sacrificed to the public good” meaning all the flaw that constitution have will not be reveal to the people (44). Franklin is very passion about what is best for the people and their happiness, furthermore his characteristic is very respectful toward the citizen and the congress.
Franklin made it a huge part of his life to continue bettering his education and himself. Due to Franklins determination, he became a very successful politician along with so much more. Lastly, religion was another large part of Franklin’s book, he speaks thoroughly about his thoughts on different religions and his search for what he truly believed in. Despite leaving his religious group and stating that he doubted the Revelation he still stated that he had respect for other religious groups and supported the
If he saw something that needed repair, Ben immediately started ameliorating it, and did not stop until he was satisfied with the result. Many principles can be gleaned from this passage, and it is a powerful reminder to work our best at every task, no matter how
Stepping into the unknown is an example of crossing boundaries that comes with a risk. The main risk of this decision is the fear and anxiety associated with what is lurking behind the shadows on an unknown path. The desire for achieving dreams sometimes, requires us to consider stumbling into the darkness of the unknown. Within Mao’s Last Dancer, Li risks his own happiness by stepping into a path that was so new and unfamiliar. Despite the fact that Li didn’t know what to expect and missing his family, stepping into the unknown had a positive outcome at the end.