Benjamin Franklin and the American Dream

Benjamin Franklin was a very intelligent man. He is very informative about his writings and his surroundings. Benjamin Franklin had an idea about the American Dream.J.A. Leo Lemay really liked Franklin. I could tell this because he talked about Franklin with a voice that is very jealous. He said that Franklin was one of the greatest writers of letters and novel. He also gives the opinion that Franklin is the best writer in the world, and that his works should be shared throughout the different cultures (Franklin). I think this is good because Lemay is writing about something that he enjoys and someone who inspires him. It does not seem all that right though because Lemay is going to side with Franklin, but he does present the facts correctly.
Franklin came from a poor and unfortunate family. He changed this with his writing skills and his brain. Being from a poor family, he was very frugal with his money and he did not want to spend it. Franklin emphasize the "rags to riches." He states this as a minor theme in the American Dream (Franklin). This is good because there is more to the American Dream than just becoming rich. To go along with his "rags to riches" theory, Franklin also talks about impotence to importance, dependence tp independence, and helplessness to power. These theories were stronger than "rags to riches"( Franklin). I think they were more important to Franklin because he was a very independent man and he wants others to know what he knows on how to try to live a well thought out life.
Benjamin Franklin's third theme of the American Dream was his theme to become an individual. It is a philosophy that individuals can change the world themselves and they have the power to do it on their own. According to Lema, "The American Dream is a dream of possibility- not just of wealth or of prestige or of power but of the manifold possibilities that human existence can hold for the incredible variety of people of the most assorted talents and deives." (Franklin). This is a very good theme. It shows that people in America who are looking for the American Dream can find it within themselves. With this, Franklin believed that the world can be effected by individuals and the changes that they want to make to the world. It gives people goals to be the best person they can be, it allows people to believe they can accomplish things they set their minds to, and the American Dream also helps people to have the common sense to get things done the correct way (Franklin).
Franklin also talks about the ability of a person to make their own decisions and have their own free will (Franklin). I believe in this theme because people will be as great as they want to be. They also have the choice to become whatever they wish to be in their lives. Benjamin Franklin was a smart man who inspired many people to be who they want to be.


"Franklin's Autobiography and the American Dream." Facts On File Online Databases. Web. 13 Oct. 2010. .