Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 1791

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Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

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Part 2Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 2, Pages 69-74 Summary

Part 2 begins with two letters from Franklin’s friends that encourage him to continue writing his autobiography. Written in 1782, Franklin titles the first letter “Letter from Mr. Abel James, with Notes on My Life (Received in Paris),” and Abel James includes a copy of Franklin’s autobiography for him to continue writing because of its potential to impact the world (69). The next letter, which was written by Mr. Benjamin Vaughan and sent to Franklin in 1783, also encourages Franklin to continue writing despite Vaughan not having read the entire book so far. He has only read pieces of the text and saw the outline, but he claims that Franklin’s life is not only remarkable but also influential. He defines Franklin as “a wise man” whose autobiography will provide an example of how a wise man behaves.

Part 2, Pages 75-88 Summary

The next section of Part 2 begins after Benjamin Vaughan’s letter and is titled “Continuation of the Account of my Life. Begun at Passy, 1784” (74). Due to a lapse in memory and not having a copy of the first part of his writing, Franklin quickly discusses the establishment of the public library in Philadelphia and discusses the poor quality of printing presses that existed in New York and Philadelphia when he first left Boston.

During his process of establishing the library, Franklin declares that approaching others with modesty tends to gain him better results. The library also benefits Franklin, who has access to its resources, and claims that reading is the only “Amusement” he allows himself. He claims he pursued industrious endeavors with the hopes of gaining wealth and status, but he did not realize that he would be meeting kings in his lifetime. Along with his career, Franklin reflects on his home life and how lucky he is to have a good wife. As a child, he was raised to be Presbyterian; as an adult, he recognizes there are a variety of religions in America and respects them all. However, he does also admit he has “different degrees of Respect” for these religions (77).

Referring back to Franklin’s passion for morality, virtues, and integrity from Part 1, he shares a list of 13 virtues that he lives by in the following order: temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity, and humility. Franklin asserts that his intention with this list is to acquire such virtues by focusing on one virtue a week until he perfects them all. In his autobiography, he includes the chart he created to track his developments with these virtues.

Franklin then claims that “Order” gives him the most trouble. He also includes quotations from well-known historical figures, such as Cicero and King Solomon, and from famous works, such as Joseph Addison’s Cato. These quotes focus on asking God for wisdom and guidance. Franklin inserts a copy of his daily schedule, which shows how he breaks up his day for productivity.

Franklin credits this plan for his happiness in life, and he even considers publishing his writings on each virtue in a book called “the ART of Virtue” to aid others (87). He goes on to say that his list originally only included 12 virtues, but one of his friends convinced him to include humility as a virtue to develop due to his vanity. For Franklin, pride is the most difficult passion to overcome, and he believes that even if he does overcome it, he will be prideful of his humility.

Part 2 Analysis

Franklin’s decision to include the two letters that praise his autobiographical writings illustrates the theme of The Importance of Self-Improvement, as Franklin’s friends believe that Franklin’s life and conduct can serve as a morally edifying example for others. In early American literature, authors tended to include letters from acquaintances, friends, or well-known figures to bolster their credentials in writing a work; this was a popular strategy also used in captivity and enslavement narratives.

In the first letter, the writer claims Franklin’s writing is influential “on the Minds of Youth” (69), which propels Franklin to admit his intention of influencing younger generations. With the inclusion of these letters, Franklin’s autobiography shifts from the initial intended audience of just his son to that of a wider, more public audience: The letters illustrate Franklin’s justification for making this shift, portraying his decision to be more ambitious with his writing as an act of public service, reflecting Franklin’s commitment to The Development of American Identity among the citizens more generally.

Vaughan’s commentary on Franklin’s potential for influencing young men also provides context and justification for including his 13-week virtue development plan, once more reflecting The Importance of Self-Improvement in Franklin’s ethos. Franklin defines the type of person he wants to be in society and explains how he utilizes his virtues to aid in his daily life. Vanity and pride remain a point of conflict for Franklin, as he struggles to overcome his own satisfaction regarding his work. However, his final statement in this section illustrates his ability to not only be self-aware but also recognize areas in which he still needs to improve. By including this in his writings, Franklin illustrates a pragmatic approach to the development of his virtues and exemplifies that while he may not be able to perfect them all, he still attempts to work on them.

Franklin’s commitment to creating the subscription library also reflects The Role of Enlightenment Values, as he once again emphasizes the importance of education and access to books for ordinary citizens. He claims that one of his 13 virtues—humility—aids his development of the subscription library: “I therefore put myself as much as I could out of sight, and stated it was a Scheme of a Number of Friends, who had requested me to go about and propose it […] The present little Sacrifice of your vanity will afterwards be amply repaid” (76). Here, Franklin suggests that being willing to stay “out of sight” and to present himself as part of a team effort (“it was a Scheme of a Number of Friends”), instead of claiming all the credit for himself, enables him to achieve his goal more easily. By choosing humility over vanity, Franklin not only further develops one of his virtues but also provides a service to his community. Furthermore, in crediting the library with aiding his own development, Franklin once more emphasizes the value of reading and knowledge in helping him develop as both a man and a citizen.