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The
Autobiography
The
Autobiography was not only the first successful
American biographic work, but also one of
the American national literature early
representatives. It had a long and valuable
influence since it
published in1868 .
As for the work, we can appreciate and analyze it
from different angles.
First , the view
of biographic literature, author was born and grew
up in a poor American family,
no
formal
education,
no
romantic
love
story,
let
alone
the
help
from
powerful
people.
He
depended
on
himself
persistence
and
endeavor
achieved
success
which
was
different
from
traditional
European
biographic
works.
In
Franklin
’
s
work,
an
ordinary
American
people
depended on himself diligence and faith
achieved his goals from youth to adult, from
childish to
mature
under
influence
of
social
environment,
it
’
s
a
typical
example
of
American
people.
This
person were not only qualified with the
spirit of Puritanism such as diligence,
practicability and
aspirant, but also
qualified with the character of confidence and
optimistic for future which was
just
American people should have.
The
Autobiography showed the social picture of
American society in 18
th
century and the spirit of
the
age
of
enlightenment.
It
had
an
important
influence
for
the
formation
of
American
national
character,
to
a
certain
extent,
started
to
reverse
European
’
s
bias
for
American
people.
Second,
from the point of narrative language,
the style of writing is personalized, pure, simple
and fresh.
It
’
s
totally different from European writing style.
The excerpt of
first chapter, Franklin played a role of father,
his tone was kind and soft. He told
his
son
there
were
some
inducements
that
excite
him
to
write
this
book.
From
the
poverty
and
obscurity in which he was born and in
which he passed his earliest years, he has raised
himself to
a
state
of
affluence
and
some
degree
of
celebrity
in
the
world.
As
constant
good
fortune
has
accompanied him even to an advanced
period of life, his descendents will perhaps be
desirous of
learning the means, which
he employed, and which, thanks to God, so well
succeeded with him.
His
descendents
may
also
deem
them
fit
to
be
imitated
,should
any
of
them
find
themselves
in
similar circumstances.
The excerpt of second chapter , Franklin as an
author ,he kept distance with
us
and
educated
us
very
well
through
his
individual
experience.
In
this
part
he
told
us
he
was
ambitious
,wasn
’
t satisfied with an
apprenticed and wanted to be successful. On the
other hand,
because of religious
persecution, their whole families immigrated to a
reign of freedom
–
America.
Since
then,he
began
his
mystery
and
legend
life.
Franklin's
Autobiography
had
received widespread
praise, both
for its historical
value as
a record of an
important
early
American and
for
its literary style.
It
was
often considered the
first
American
book to be
taken seriously by Europeans as literature.
William Dean Howells in 1905
asserted
that
over other autobiographies as
Franklin towered over other men.
It
acknowledged as one of the great autobiographies
of the world.
In the Autobiography, we
got
a
full
picture
of
Franklin
as
the
Renaissance
scholar,
fascinated
by
all
types
of
learning
and interested in doing whatever he could to make
life a little bit better for
mankind,
based on the notion that the way to please God was
by doing good to other
men. This
interest manifested itself in public service and
scientific progress.
There were some
virtues in the book, these names of virtues as
follows:
not to dullness;drink not to
elevation.
not but what may
benefit others or yourself;avoid trifling
conversation.
all your things have
their places;let each part of your business have
its time.
e to perform what you
ought;perform without fall what you resolve.
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