Many scholars argue that this autobiography is not the full story that Benjamin Franklin wanted to convey. “No version of the Autobiography that we now read was published until the 1840s”(Shur, 435). He continues to state that while publishing the book only portions of Franklin’s original manuscript are found in what we read today. Whether this book is a true autobiography or if it is someone else recalling Franklin’s life, the themes remain beneficial. Another thing that is brought into question is why the title would contain the word “Autobiography.” According to William Shur, “‘Autobiography’ is a word that Franklin never used and probably never even heard. Its first documented use in English is in 1797, seven years after Franklin’s death.” If the book was truly Franklin’s work, why would there be a word in the title that was unknown in his lifetime? The way the book goes into details about his family and job opportunities when he was young, suggests that the content of the book is from Franklin; however, there is the possibility that someone else could have taken Franklin’s manuscripts of his life and created this “autobiography.”
The book introduces a theme that is found within the heart of America. Franklin shows how from a young age he was a person who believed in hard work, and was determined to succeed in life. In the beginning he states that he “emerged from poverty and obscurity in which I was born and bred” (Franklin, 1). Benjamin Franklin’s life is a prime example of the American Dream; he became successful and achieved greatness by his strong work ethic and never-ending quest for knowledge.
"Benjamin Franklin." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 16 Sep. 2009
Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Mineola: Dover Publicatons, Inc., 1996. Print.
Shurr, William H. "`Now, gods, stand up for bastards': Reinterpreting Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography." American Literature 64.3 (Sep. 1992): 435. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, San Jose, CA. 16 Sep. 2009
After reading this post, I find it very interesting that one would look into the origins of a word to falsify the title of the book. Of course there can be many different reasons why or how the title had came about and I will leave that open for interpretation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with jmcogo4 that the theme of success due to hard work is definitely a big part of this book and idolizes Franklin as successful due to his strong work ethic. I myself look at the achievements of Franklin in awe as I realize the struggles he faced on the path to becoming a Founding Father of this country.
I kind of got confused when you said, “He continues to state…” Is that William Shur who continues to state?
ReplyDeleteAs with JSSJSU, I also find it interesting the word “autobiography” was used in the title when this word was documented seven years after Franklin’s death. However, if I remember correctly, Franklin did not intend to publish this in the first place. He never knew this “autobiography” of him has been published. Because it was published after his death, the publisher may have heard of the word “autobiography”.
I do agree with the theme of success from hard work and how it shows what kind of a person Franklin was; hard worker. Ever since he was little, he was fascinated in reading and that led him to work hard. The last sentence, “…he became successful and achieved greatness by his strong work ethic and never-ending quest for knowledge” sums everything up.
I agree that this book was beneficial whether or not Franklin himself wrote it. However, I think that William Shur is over-analyzing the "Autobiography" thing. For all we know, someone along the way may have added the title when formatting the book. Even then, just because a autobiography isn't documented being used in his time does not mean in was coined after his death. For example, there's no documentation as to when baseball was first played. More evidence is found to support it was played earlier than before.
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