Ben Franklin Autobiography Summary
Introduction
The man Benjamin Franklin eventually became a man of good character and willingness to accept others. However, as the story of Ben Franklin unfolds you see he was indeed just a man. A man found to be of the same fault and human flaw as us all to which we were born, and that is into sin. Franklin as well as all people fell short. God told us in his word long before Ben Franklin ever existed. Romans 3:23 states “for all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.” (NIV). Franklin did prove however, by his own story that man could never be in a state of perfection. Franklin just came to terms that he was just a man, but strived to fight for what he thought was right to the end. Still God chose to bless him with privileged acquaintances.
Body
Benjamin Franklin was indeed a man who strove for self improvement. He may have stated why he pursued perfection very early on in the book with his admittance of errata in regards to his brother James, but more specifically from the book where he states that under Mr. George Brownell, directly from Franklin (1909) “ Under him I acquired fair writing pretty soon, but I failed in the arithmetic, and made no progress in it.”(9) This failure early on probably was the spark that started Franklin, who was marked as prideful to strive for self-improvement. Why would someone of such learning as Ben Franklin and success even mention something of this, especially if he learned the mathematical skill later? His mathematical failure coupled with his inability to manage his relationship with James only added to Mr. Franklin’s ability to see that he was not perfect. The mathematical failure and his brotherly problems along with his father’s torment of ridicule at his reading of poetry as mentioned on page thirteen of the book was enough damage to spark resentment also, and drive him to succeed at his endeavors at all cost. My life can personally attest to that resentment and driven nature. Very early on in my life I
The man Benjamin Franklin eventually became a man of good character and willingness to accept others. However, as the story of Ben Franklin unfolds you see he was indeed just a man. A man found to be of the same fault and human flaw as us all to which we were born, and that is into sin. Franklin as well as all people fell short. God told us in his word long before Ben Franklin ever existed. Romans 3:23 states “for all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.” (NIV). Franklin did prove however, by his own story that man could never be in a state of perfection. Franklin just came to terms that he was just a man, but strived to fight for what he thought was right to the end. Still God chose to bless him with privileged acquaintances.
Body
Benjamin Franklin was indeed a man who strove for self improvement. He may have stated why he pursued perfection very early on in the book with his admittance of errata in regards to his brother James, but more specifically from the book where he states that under Mr. George Brownell, directly from Franklin (1909) “ Under him I acquired fair writing pretty soon, but I failed in the arithmetic, and made no progress in it.”(9) This failure early on probably was the spark that started Franklin, who was marked as prideful to strive for self-improvement. Why would someone of such learning as Ben Franklin and success even mention something of this, especially if he learned the mathematical skill later? His mathematical failure coupled with his inability to manage his relationship with James only added to Mr. Franklin’s ability to see that he was not perfect. The mathematical failure and his brotherly problems along with his father’s torment of ridicule at his reading of poetry as mentioned on page thirteen of the book was enough damage to spark resentment also, and drive him to succeed at his endeavors at all cost. My life can personally attest to that resentment and driven nature. Very early on in my life I
Cited: "Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.” Edited by Charles W Eliot LLD.PF Collier and Son Company, New York, 1909. Web. September 03,2011