There was a salt-marsh that bounded part of the mill-pond, on the edge of which, at high water, we used to stand to fish for minnows. By much trampling, we had made it a mere quagmire. My proposal was to build a wharff there fit for us to stand upon, and I showed my comrades a large heap of stones, which were intended for a new house near the marsh, and which would very well suit our purpose. Accordingly, in the evening, when the workmen were gone, I assembled a number of my play-fellows, and working with them diligently like so many emmets, sometimes two or three to a stone, we brought them all away and built our little wharff. The next morning the workmen were surprised at missing the stones, which were found in our wharff. Inquiry was made after the removers; we were discovered and complained of; several of us were corrected by our fathers; and though I pleaded the usefulness of the work, mine convinced me that nothing was useful which was not honest.

He goes on to give detailed accounts of his adventures in childhood and young adulthood. His autobiography makes a strong impression on any reader but an indelible one on the reader who takes the time to pick out the wisdom he has left behind. The first part of his autobiography was intended as a letter to his son. So you can imagine his goal; it was not only to recount the events of his life but to pass on the knowledge he has acquired through and since those events. His lessons are subtle but with a little active reading you can discern between the Benjamin that is the subject of the book and the Benjamin who wrote the book.

He takes you through his development from a bright oftentimes misguided child to scientific, printing and political genius. He shows his errors, his intermediate stages, his abandoned philosophies with the hopes that they can be learned from.

*the picture above is entitled Young Woman With a Turban by Jaques Loius Davis

In Part 2 of his autobiography Ben Franklin includes letters from two of his friends who comment about the first part of his autobiography and encourage him to continue it to completion. The ideas in these letters seem to place the entire work into context and it seems that Franklin chose to include them precisely for this reason. Do these letters really contain Franklin’s secret reasons for writing his autobiography?

Mr. James, who wrote the first letter, believes that the autobiography would serve tremendously well as a guide to the American youth (should it be completed). He commends Franklin’s ability to inspire in his reader industry, frugality, and temperance.

This idea is picked up in the second letter from Mr. Benjamin Vaughn. Having seen an outline of important events from Franklin’s life,” Vaughn presses him to finish writing his memoirs. He says that that the account of Franklin’s life would serve as a “sort of key to life, and [would] explain many things that all men ought to have explained to them, to give them a chance and becoming wise by foresight.” Who can disagree with that? The whole book especially the section where he provides an outline of a method for self improvement, has an uncanny ability to galvanize its reader.

Vaughn also believes that Franklin’s life story would be paramount to the development of future great men. But its benefits will extend beyond just the great and wise men, Vaughn believes that it will just as equally benefit the ordinary person as well.
By including these letters from Mr. Abel and Mr. Vaughn, it seems that Franklin is making sure the reader receives information he deems pertinent but is not inclined to say himself. When you consider the above to be his goal in writing his autobiography you are enabled to view his work in it’s entirety and in full context.

By letting these ideas be presented by others Franklin conveys his message but retains a sense of humility that is essential to his credibility. This way he can keep at bay questions of his vanity and subsequently acquisitions of embellishing history by letting his most vain (although critical) ideas be presented by others.

This brings one to wonder about Ben Franklin and his intentions. It is not uncommon for an author to send his or her work to friends or colleagues for review. But, Franklin is brilliant in the extreme and also equally humble (especially in his later years). Could it be that he knew exactly what needed to be said but was too humble to say it himself. Did he use his superior understanding of human nature to subtly solicit these particular responses unknowingly from their writers?

Whatever your answer may be, it should be noted as Vaughn says in his letter “considering [Franklin’s] great age, the caution of [his] character, and [his] peculiar style of thinking, it is not likely that any one besides [himself] can be sufficiently master of the facts of [his] life, or the intentions of [his] mind.”Well, no one can but it’s always fun to guess. So what do you think?

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