Preview

Benjamin Franklin's Tone on 2 Passages

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
315 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Benjamin Franklin's Tone on 2 Passages
Franklin's Tone

In his Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America, Benjamin Franklin expresses his attitude toward the white settlers, and the ‘savage' Native-Americans. Franklin's fluctuating style of tone in his writing can not go neglected, as it is left naked to criticism. In revealing his perspective on the white settlers and the Native-Americans, Franklin's audience is left to question who the real ‘savages' are. Franklin's passage is perceivably, though not physically, divided into two sections. The foremost section of the passage contains the story of Adam and Eve, as told by the minister. Within this scanty first section Franklin expresses a sparse, neutral tone, not quoting the minister even once. Rather, Franklin simply gives an indecently short recap of Christianity, ending with a frivolous "&c." and moving on to what, through his use of tone, he has subliminally communicated to be the significant fraction of the passage. From the very beginning of the latter half to the end, Franklin expresses a tone that exhibits a great concern for what the Indian orator has to say. While the minister is not quoted while sharing his beliefs with the chiefs, the orator is immediately quoted. This seemingly subtle difference is key in analyzing Franklin's tone in that without it, Franklin's point may have been lost. By using such brevity in describing the minister and such bombastic elasticity in depicting the orator, Franklin allows for the audience to realize a definite difference. Franklin ends his passage with a conceited quip from the minister, saying "What I delivered to you were sacred truths; but that you tell me is mere fable, fiction, and falsehood." By showing the belligerent arrogance of the minister, Franklin uses his tone to indefinitely expose his attitude toward the minister, and in doing so, leads one to question if the Indians are the real

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In the beginning of Benjamin’s letter he develops a choleric tone to ease himself onto the real concern of his topic. Benjamin uses pensive diction “inability”, “miraculous”, “freedom”, “tranquility”, and “merciful”. Benjamin emphasizes the how the slaves are unequal and viewed upon. He states “We hold these truths to be self-evident,…

    • 197 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    After two months of sailing, he finally landed north of Charleston on June 13, 1777. He then spent the next month traveling through various states like North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, and after thirty-two days, arrived in Philadelphia. Congress originally tossed aside even considering letting Lafayette fight; but they would soon be persuaded. Not only did Benjamin Franklin and Silas Deane write a letter to Congress on Lafayette’s behalf, but Lafayette also took the liberty to write a letter to Congress as well. He wrote, “After the sacrifices I have made, I have the right to exact two favours: one is, to serve at my own expense, - the other is, to serve at first as a volunteer” (85). Moved by this sentiment, Congress established him as a major general of the Continental Army on July 31.…

    • 622 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Warner starts off explaining Franklin as a manipulative, calculating thinker. He illustrates Franklin as a man who revolves his life around the art of writing, but adds his opinion by calling this observation “disturbing” (Warner, 111). Warner makes a point to outline the history of print within the colonies, but does not critically analyze why Franklin would have dedicated himself to writing and publishing. If Franklin grew up in the coming age of print, why is it so strange that he would immerse himself in it? Print interested Franklin just as…

    • 508 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Franklin is upset by how much the English have changed since being in the states, and how all their rights, taxes, and trade are being handled by the king. He no longer feels like a “English Man” however he holds the title, he no longer has the rights that title once carried. Since the English in the states have changed so much, he feels they need to break away and become their own nation.…

    • 592 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Wood presents important supporting evidence that Franklin is more complex than his stereotype. In his book, Wood follows two broad courses, from Franklin’s difficult progress from an English supporter, to becoming a more committed American. In chapter one, "Becoming a Gentlemen," Wood lists events chronologically that were a result of Franklin's…

    • 786 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    An example from the speech would be, “What must poor young Women do, whom Custom have forbid to solicit the Men, and who cannot force themselves upon Husbands, when the Laws take no Care to provide them any; and yet severely punish them if they do their Duty without them; the Duty of the first and great Command of Nature, and of Nature’s God, Increase and Multiply” (Franklin). Franklin is attempting to get the male readers to understand, and hopefully imagine what these women are put through. He hopes that if they hear or even see it for themselves, then maybe these men will come to their senses. However, Franklin is still quite humorous in this speech, for instance, the very last line in the speech “in my humble Opinion, instead of a Whipping, to have a Statue erected to my Memory” (Franklin). Franklin is trying to be humorous, but at the same time get a point across to the court officials.…

    • 618 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Benjamin Franklin and James Madison, both are famous men in America's history, both are considered founding father's having played key parts in this country's development, and both of these two men are brilliant thinkers, each conjuring different ideals about issues at hand. Even with all these and more similarities, Benjamin Franklin, considered one of the greatest American minds of all time, and James Madison, considered the Architect of the Constitution, were different, and had different ideals on different issues. The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the lives and ideals of Benjamin Franklin and James Madison.…

    • 1024 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “A penny saved is a penny earned.” That well known quote is from none other than the famous Benjamin Franklin. Franklin was born in Boston on January 17, 1706. Josiah Franklin, Benjamin’s father, was a candle and soap maker. In Josiah’s first marriage with Anne Child, they had seven children together. Then in his second marriage with Abiah Folger, they had ten more children. Ben was his fifteenth child and his youngest son. Franklin had numerous accomplishments and he was also very involved in many careers, including: scientist, inventor, politician, author, printer, statesman, civic activist, political theorist, diplomat, postmaster, and freemason.…

    • 944 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    historical issues, attitudes and events were touched upon but there select-few that really stood out…

    • 1384 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Benjamin Franklin had already made great contributions to American society before he became involved in the movement for Independence” (Benton). “Franklin was not only the most famous American in the 18th century but also one of the most famous figures in the Western world of the 18th century; indeed, he is one of the most celebrated and influential Americans who has ever lived” (Wood). For Benjamin franklin to contribute all of his greatest inventions from when he was a child until his death, shows the world how great of a man he was. Benjamin Franklin is the worlds all time writer, inventor, politician, and many more, but he is defined as the worlds most remarkable…

    • 764 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    William Bradford graphically describes the Calusa Indians as “savages”. Bradford writes about what him and his fellow pilgrims see when they are forced to flee to Holland in 1608 on the Mayflower. Holland was an alien land to these pilgrims at that time. Their main goal was to arrive in the new world. William later expresses in vivid detail the conditions of his men in “an unknown world”called Cape Cod. “…they had now no friends to welcome them nor inns to entertain or refresh their weatherbeaten bodies; no houses or much less towns to repair to, to seek for succour.”(Bradford, 1620) William Bradford constantly calls the Indians “savage barbarians”, who were “readier to fill their sides of arrows than otherwise”. The Pilgrims could see nothing but, as Bradford says, “Hideous and desolate wilderness, full of wild beasts and wild men”.…

    • 380 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    After encountering his own pursuit of happiness when traveling from Boston to Philadelphia, Franklin endeavors on another individual journey in which he explores the moral aspect of human beings. Consumed with the idea of constant self-improvement in the later years of his life, Franklin consents “to the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection with thirteen virtues” (104). Specifically, the following virtues that were quintessential in attaining moral propriety were: temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity, and humility. “Tis true there is much to be done, and perhaps you are weak-handed, but stick to it steadily; and you will see great effects” (Franklin 5). Publicizing this statement in his essay, The Way to Wealth, Franklin directly applies the virtue, industry, into a short statement known as an aphorism. This message conveys that although the initial circumstances in one’s journey may seem difficult, consistent persistency will eventually lead to great results. With that in mind, Franklin himself acknowledging the difficulty in achieving self-betterment, the arrival to moral perfection began to bear a similar resemblance to the pursuit of…

    • 1224 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Everyone can make a speech and be able to convince people to think or say something but, they also have some things in their speech that aren't effective, even Benjamin Franklin himself. Ben Franklin made a speech that was very effective to make us believe that the Constitution at the time still needed to be worked on because it wasn't perfection. In some ways his speech was also ineffective.…

    • 565 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    History

    • 523 Words
    • 3 Pages

    a. First Poor Richard was not actually even written by Benjamin Franklin. While sticking to the English tradition Franklin brought civilizations in many different ways to his country. Something’s were just easy to recall for instance; virtues, frugality, pragmatism, industry and just common…

    • 523 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Amidst Haslett’s narration of Franklin, I noticed these words of Franklin symbolic, saying his son is not the same anymore since he is now damaged by his actions as “On the floor of his room he’d trace with delicate hands, what he remembered of my design: I see those same hands now spread on his thighs, nails bitten down, cuticles torn” (Haslett 9). These words were not only composed of Graham’s opinions of his son. It also includes the writer’s implication of Franklin’s torment upon losing his inspirational mentor. I can relate these feelings myself for I am a person who idolizes his father. Franklin as a child also looked up to Graham as an inspirational figure, but he was let down. I would have fallen apart like Franklin if I were in his situation.…

    • 936 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays