from The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

1
from The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

• from Poor Richards Almanack

2
Literary Analysis

• An autobiography is the story of a persons life.
• Autobiography was a new form of literature when
  Benjamin Franklin wrote The Autobiography.
• His work helped set the rules for this new type
  of writing.

3
Autobiography

• An Autobiography presents events in a persons
  life according to how that person sees them.
• An autobiography can give personal views of
  history. Information about the politics, habits,
  ideas, and values of a society can be found in
  autobiographies.

4
Reading Strategy

• Franklin tells his readers details about his
  life.
• He explains his goals and interests.
• You can draw conclusions about Franklin and his
  life.
• A conclusion is an opinion you reach by pulling
  together facts and details.

5
Drawing Conclusions

• Use this pattern for drawing conclusions about
  Franklins character while you read.
• Details Franklin changes his plan when he sees
  he is not meeting his goals.
• Personal Experience You also thought of a
  different way to meet a goal that was not being
  met.
• Conclusion Franklin makes adjustments to meet
  his goals.

6
Summary

• Franklin is working on a plan to reach moral
  perfection.
• He will work on thirteen virtues or qualities.
• Franklin writes the virtues in a notebook to see
  how well he is doing.
• He makes a black mark beside a virtue every time
  he forgets to follow it.
• He works on a different virtue each week.
• Franklin thinks his plan is helpful but not
  completely successful.

7
from Poor Richards Almanack - Summary

• Franklin gives advice about how people should
  behave.
• He presents his thoughts in aphorisms, or short
  sayings with a message.
• Many of his aphorisms come from traditional folk
  sayings.
• Sayings such as Well done is better than well
  said tell something about Franklin and what he
  values.