Although Benjamin Franklin was well known as an inventor, a Post Master General, and “One of the Founding Fathers of the United States”, he was also known for being a leading author of his time. Among all his works of writing, “The Speech of Miss Polly Baker” caught my attention immediately due to the content of his writing. Even though the exact date it was written is unknown (but most likely in 1746), it was first published in The General Advertiser, on April 15, 1747, pseudonymously. It tells of a woman being on trial for having her fifth child out of wedlock, even though she has been punished for it previously. Throughout the speech she justifies her actions by telling the court that she alone could not make a baby, but yet she is the
One example of this laid-back attitude towards spending money is when Francis goes home after 22 years and gets $10 from Billy. Francis then jokes with his wife, Annie, about putting “…ten dollars toward the frame” (183) for a picture they like. This minor and seemingly harmless remark digs deeper into the person Francis is. Rather than spending money on food or shelter, he would rather spend it on a useless trinket that does not improve his life. Considering the economic climate at the time coupled with his situation, this joke turns into an ignorant statement which explains why he has “…been broke twenty-two years” (182).
William Hazlitt, a renowned 19th century author, highlights in his famous text “On the Want of Money” his ideas on money and how it plays a part in how a person lives their life. Hazlitt presents the case that money cannot buy happiness as it superficial, but yet life without money will ultimately end in sorrow and “to be scrutinized by strangers, and neglected by friends.” By his extreme control over rhetorical strategies such as diction, syntax, and imagery Hazlitt was able to accurately portray his beliefs on the effect of money on people. The most potent strategy in Hazlitt’s delivery is his diction; he uses this to stress the importance of wealth.
“Traded my soul for rock and roll. I made a deal with the devil. Fortune and fame, fire and flames. I made a deal with the devil”. This lyric is a originates from the song “Deal With The Devil” by Winger.
Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury is a story set in the dystopian future where books are banned, and the government controls everything that the public can see, hear, and even think. The story goes through several themes such as censorship, conformity, knowledge, but with a deeper meaning of happiness. The residents in this book are stuck under the rule of meaningless entertainment and are severely disconnected from each other, All the while the government suppresses personal thought and freedom. However, through Montag and his viewpoint of the world and interactions with others, the novel suggests that true happiness can come from relationships and the pursuit of knowledge. Showing a new idea of happiness coming from individuality, values, and
In today’s society, people achieve happiness through interaction with others, but in Ray Bradbury’s dystopian Novel, Fahrenheit 451, his characters believe that they need technology to enjoy their lives. People’s main priority is to be happy and have a successful life. They don’t want to have to worry about anything and just enjoy themselves. “‘You must understand that our civilization is so vast that we can’t have our minorities upset and stirred. Ask yourself, what do we want in this country, above all?
Franklin values frugality so highly that he refers to as the way to wealth, freedom from debt, and “producing affluence and independence” (Franklin 38). Franklin goes as far as to “avoid all appearances to the contrary [of being frugal]”, by always dressing plainly when out in public and not being seen at expensive, “places of idle diversion” (Franklin 33). Franklin’s combined frugality and humble appearance worked in his favor, as he was seen as a “thriving young man” whom merchants would import stationery for and “others would supply . . . with books” (Franklin 33). This frugality of Franklin’s gave him social standing, success, and riches.
Refugee accommodations are not sustainable ways of life, putting a greater pressure on governments to speed up their processes and to allow more refugee’s into safe countries. As a result of those extremes, until the wars are over or one is accepted into a safe country, refugees are left with limited options. With an increase in support from countries across the globe, paired with the assistance given by many individual citizens within these safe countries, with each week an increasing number of refugees are able to relocate to Canada. Although many do find positive outcomes from being safe away from war, due to the intense demands of integration many are left still with very little supports to recover from their past experiences. (The Welcome
Of Mice and Men, a novel by John Steinbeck, happiness is the most intriguing, and clear desire to all of the characters in the short story novel Of Mice and Men. George became happy when he thought up the idea of having a ranch like when he was a kid, all he wanted to do was to be happy. He wanted no worries at all, no worries about where to sleep at night, no worries about food, nothing! So when you think about it, everything that George does in this book was to be happy, or was to make others happy. When Lennie said he wanted to tend the rabbits at the farm, this is all Lennie could think of.
Franklin listed the ways and descriptions of what one should do to fall into having these as common everyday habits. Once trained to follow the virtues, by working on a specific one each week, man would be able to prove he was a paragon for the society. Franklin and his 13 virtues may not have represented the individuals of the day, but was a representation of what the “old lights” should and wanted to be
His story warns that the pursuit of wealth—even as a means to an end—causes loss, despite the seeming gain. In order to achieve fulfillment, we must abandon that pursuit in favour of the direct pursuit of the things that would do
The article being reviewed in this essay is, “Benjamin Franklin, the Inveterate (and Crafty) Public Instructor: Instruction on Two Levels in “The Way to Wealth” by Patrick Sullivan. The article by Sullivan is an in-depth analysis of “The Way to Wealth” by Benjamin Franklin. The overall review of the article was good. It opens the readers’ eyes to some of the reasons this piece was written and the hidden messages in this piece.
In “Mice of Men”, George says, “O.K. Someday—we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs and—” This shows that even though George and Lennie have a place to sleep, he wants something small and simple to call their own. When Kohls states, “But by any standard, Americans are materialistic.” , it demonstrates that in this time in age, good is never good enough. In conclusion, although values change as time evolves, some such as money, remain valuable.
Benjamin Franklin is an individual representation of what the Great American Dream portrays, but his success is parodied by Rip’s leisure lifestyle. One example of
Well-known nineteenth-century author, William Hazlitt, in his essay, “On the Want of Money,” describes his position about wealth. Hazlitt’s purpose is to convey the irony of money; being in want of money and not having money can both cause altering effects. Hazlitt furthers his position by using rhetorical devices such as imagery, word choice, and metaphor. Hazlitt divides his essay into a parallel structure, focusing one part of his essay on the consequences of desiring money, and the other to describe the consequences of having money.
