"BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: A BIOGRAPHY IN HIS OWN WORDS" (THOMAS FLEMING).   Term Paper ID:25912 Click to get this paper

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Paper Abstract: Critical review of book's purpose, structure, effect on reader,Franklin's style. Paper Introduction: REVIEW OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: A BIOGRAPHY IN HIS OWN WORDS BY THOMAS FLEMING About Benjamin Franklin When Benjamin Frankilin was 22 years old, in 1728, he wrote his own epitaph: "The body of Benjamin Franklin, Printer (like the cover of an old book, its contents torn out and stripped of its lettering and gilding), lies here, food for worms; but the work shall not be lost, for it will (as he believed) appear once more in a new and more elegant edition, revised and corrected by the Author" (Bartletts 117). Clearly, he has not been forgotten. Benjamin Franklin is in fact one of the most famous names in American History. He was born in Boston in 1706 and when he was 17, moved to Philadelphia to work as a printer. In the course of Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. At first, the structure seems a bitconfusing, but it becomes clear that Fleming's comments use the full pagemargins and Franklin's words are half-page. The difficulty is increased by thefact that Fleming switches from active to passive voice in an attempt toadd energy to the writing. His reputation in Philadelphia grew because of his wit and commonsensephilosophy, especially as expressed in Poor Richard's Almanack. The problem with thispresentation of Franklin is that his insights are essentially buried in amorass of contorted language and that image of Franklin that is presentedis somewhat one-sided. What if Franklin's "important words" are a mystery to the modernreader? A statement such as this leads the reader to expect agood tale will follow. My early Readiness in learning to read (which must have been very early, as I do not remember when I could not read) and the Opinion of all his Friends that I certainly should make a good Scholar encourag'd him in this Purpose of his (Fleming 19).Certainly Flemming could have condensed and simplified these words in orderto state that Benjamin Franklin was a precocious child, and inteneded forthe church rather than a trade apprenticeship like his brothers. In the course of his life he was astatesman, printer, publisher, scientist, writer, and one of the FoundingFathers of America. The man has a penchant forresearch and is knowledgeable about Colonial History, as is shown in hisother books of the era: The Pilgrims First Year in America (Norton, 1964),and Affectionately Yours, George Washington: A Life in Letters ofFriendship (Norton, 1967.)Conclusion It is not fair to judge a writer by what he should have written, butthis subject calls for more. I was put to the Grammar School at Eight Years of Age, my father intending to devote me as the Tithe of his Sons to the Services of the Church. That isstunning writing. Yet, the rigid adherence to Franklin's words adds an extra levelof complexity to the work. While Franklin was writing at a timewhen this would be considered a fine example of composition, by currentstandards it is entirely too complex. Clearly it defiesmany rules of modern English writing. REVIEW OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: A BIOGRAPHY IN HIS OWN WORDS BY THOMAS FLEMINGAbout Benjamin Franklin When Benjamin Frankilin was 22 years old, in 1728, he wrote his ownepitaph: "The body of Benjamin Franklin, Printer (like the cover of an oldbook, its contents torn out and stripped of its lettering and gilding),lies here, food for worms; but the work shall not be lost, for it will (ashe believed) appear once more in a new and more elegant edition, revisedand corrected by the Author" (Bartletts 117). During the AmericanRevolution he was a successful American agent in France and was appointedas a commissioner to negotiate the peace with Britain.Concept of the Book The main concept behind this book is that since Benjamin Franklinnever finished his autobiography, the "biographical" technique would beused with one major modification; instead of a constant third-personnarrative which is the standard biographical approach, the subject would betreated by using Franklin's own words. Dedicated to expanding human knowledge inall areas, in 1751 he helped establish the present University ofPennsylvania. Also while serving as postmaster general, Franklin proposed a plan ofunion for the colonies at the Albany Congress in 1754. For example, Fleming states: "In the eighteenth century, most sons oftradesmen had their futures decided for them by their fathers at an earlyage" (Fleming 18). Turning to the section on the Declaration of Independence (Fleming 272-274) a new and energetic Franklin appears in a letter dated July 3 , 1776.In this letter he states: "It is impossible to think that we should thinkof Submission to a Government, that has with the most wanton Barbarity andCruelty burnt our defenceless Towns in the midst of Winter, [and] excitedthe Savages to Massacre our Peacefull Farmers" (Fleming 275). The first chapter is veryconfusing, since it is supposed to be about a boyhood that started in 17 6,and the first document is from 1771. Benjamin Franklin was a paradox, a man of witand a man of observation. states that Franklin's words are taken, ...from the published volumes of The Papers of Benjamin Franklin and from the much greater mass of papers remaining to be edited, Thomas Fleming has selected and extracted materials for this biography. Clearly, he has not beenforgotten. Instead, what follows is a lengthy account inFranklin's words which is somewhat difficult reading: My elder Brothers were all put Apprentices to different Trades. Another reviewer writes "Franklin's intellectual, practical, andscientific versatility... Moreover, it is the type of writing that Franklin himself recommends in PoorRichard's Almanack: "Here comes the orator! Works CitedThomas Fleming, ed. Benjamin Franklin is in fact one of the most famous names inAmerican History. Benjamin Franklin: A Biography in his own words. Does the fact thatFranklin was world-famous (inventor, publisher, politician) necessarilymean that everything that he says is worth sharing? In his introduction, Whitfield J.Bell Jr. But then that poses a secondaryproblem. In this instance, the combination of Flemming's commentary andFranklin's own words adds dimension to the work. Almostall reviews of this book praise the concept and pay little attention towhat Fleming did and did not do.About Thomas Fleming Thomas Fleming is known primarily as a magazine writer who moved fromwriting and editing (Cosmopolitan) to writing novels, history, andbiographies. The implication here is that perhapsFleming could have better used Franklin's own words by doing some judiciousediting. They show him in the many facets of his busy life, public and private; they reveal him in his intense commitment and in his wise reasonableness, moderation and unfailing good humor (Fleming 11). This suggests a basic problem Fleming faced. According to the book jacket and the Introduction, this is a biographyfor people to read and enjoy, not a critical annotation of Franklin'spapers. The word "felicitous" also appears inCosgrave's review -- "Franklin's full and felicitous life" (Cosgrave 168) -- and on the book jacket's liner notes, and Mr. Bell's introduction. Within that framework, Fleming has structured the papers so that thestory flows in a chronological fashion, beginning with a Boston childhoodand following him through his career. Or, for that matter, the phraseology? For example, it is an easytask to look up information and descriptions of the famous kite-flyingexperiment. During this time he also served as deputy postmaster generalof the colonies (from 1753 to 1774). Page after page reveals words,concepts, and people which are greatly in need of annotation. Also, Ms. Cosgrave claims that"Thomas Fleming has ingeniously extracted and admirably annotated aremarkable biography of Benjamin Franklin" (Cosgrave 168). His biography of Benjamin Franklin, The Man Who Dared TheLightening: A New Look at Benjamin Franklin, is far more exciting andclearly arranged (Morro, 1971, 1). This is not to suggestthat Fleming concentrate on the darker side of Franklin but it might be abetter book if some judgment calls were made. Obviously, Franklin served an important role inhistory, made some fascinating discoveries and observations, and composed alarge number of insightful and witty words. It is clear, concise, forceful, and dramatic. Consider this discussionthat Franklin makes about words: But I found I wanted a Stock of Words or a Readiness in recollecting and using them, which I thought I should have acquir'd before that time, if I had gone on making Verses, since the continual Occasion for Words of the same import but of different Length to suit the Measure, or of different Sound for the Rhyme, would have laid me under a constant Necessity of searching for Variety, and also have tended to fix that Variety in my Mind and make me Master of it (Fleming, 22).It should first be noted that this is a single sentance. There is also a thoroughindex to topics that are discussed in the book. with his flood of words, andhis drop of reason" (1735); and "A word to the wise is enough, and manywords won't fill a bushel" (1756).A Review of Reviews This book receives high praise whenever it is analyzed. For instance, because Fleming's text commentsare written in contemporary English, they are easier to read and follow.Franklin's text, written in a more formal and florid style, contrasts toostrongly. Finally, It is curious thatnone of the reviewers comment on the fact that Franklin's own "words" aresometimes very difficult to wade through, and that Fleming could have madesome better choices. And when the Rain has wet the Kite and Twine so that itcan conduct the Electric Fire freely" (Fleming 93). He was born in Boston in 17 6 and when he was 17, movedto Philadelphia to work as a printer. 15, 1972). and generally felicitous existence are brightlyetched" (Booklist, Nov. Given that he draws from the 15-Volume edition of Franklin'sworks that have been published by Yale University Press, there can belittle doubt of having sufficient material.Alternatives To Reading Straight Through There are numerous pictures and illustrations providing a good visualidea of the period in which Franklin existed. He helped draft theDeclaration of Independence which he signed. But his letters show that he was also pompous,long-winded, and sometimes quite full of himself. Alsointerested in science, Franklin is credited with a famous experiment whichproved the presence of electricity in lightning -- he flew a kite in athunderstorm to test his theory. Yet the onlyreal annotation is the placement the dates on the letters, with anoccasional remark in the connecting text. The main effect this has on the reader is that the first impression ofBenjamin Franklin's "words" is that he used too many of them to expressotherwise simple ideas. Granted, Franklin was writing in a differentperiod when formal and restrained writing was accepted. That is because he chose to write inhis own voice, which is clear and concise. Fleming obviouslydecided that each word was important. But the constantinteraction of "fast thoughts" (Fleming) and "slow thoughts" (Franklin)tends to make the reader skip over the slow and stick with the fast. Franklin's description ofthe experiment might be considered exciting and historically significant:"This Kite is to be raised when a Thunder Gust appears to be coming on, andthe Person who holds the string must Stand within a Door, or Window, orunder some Cover... Mary SilvaCosgrave, for instance, writing about it in Outlook Tower says it gives thereader an entertaining and informative "glimpse of history and its impacton a man almost at the moment it was being made" (Cosgrave 169).Cosgrave's statement is rather difficult to accept, for in the broadestanalysis, history is always being made. New York: Newsweek These selections, explained and annotated by the editor, present Benjamin Franklin largely in his own words. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.