Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography
When you read the biographies-or autobiographies in this case, of our founding fathers, you realize how extraordinary these men actually were. Benjamin Franklin certainly falls into that category, if anybody does, and he started with practically nothing. Not only did he proceed to cement his place as one of the greatest Americans in history, he also proved himself be a fascinating self made wonder, and he tells us how he did it. Franklin’s autobiography consists of letters he wrote to his son, chronicling his life story that he wanted to impart before his death. He never finished the story, and it ends prior to the revolutionary war. A disappointment for sure, but what he did write shows the rise of a remarkable man. Franklin was seemingly a born leader, but likely it was because of his voracious reading habits, certainly a bonus in a day when books were at a premium and much of the population didn’t read. Dad wanted him to follow in his footsteps and be a candlemaker; he wanted to go to sea (not uncommon for boys in those days), and ended up as an apprentice with his brother, who kicked his ass on a regular basis and eventually necessitated that he strike out on his own. Despite not getting along with the brother, Franklin learned about the printing business that his brother ran and eventually created his own empire. …show more content…
He adopted an abridged version of the Socratic method, a conversational style that didn’t encourage enmity, even with someone who was in diametric
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