Rhetorical Analysis Of Benjamin Franklin

The work of these two men, of two different times and of different cultural backgrounds, shared similar views of the hypocrisy of the white society towards Native Americans and the discrimination of Native Americans by white society. Both very much agree that the Natives are being mistreated. Franklin takes a front on the hypocritical culture of the white society, while Apes uses several rhetorical questions and biblical references to question their religion. Franklin’s main concern was that the Natives were anything but savages. Franklin looks at the culture of both societies and notices that the Natives are politer and the English were more of savages. Apes, unlike Franklin, was a Native American that converted to Christianity. His essay

Franklins opens his work with why the colonist called them savages, “Savages we call them, because their manners differ than ours, which we think the perfection of civility; they think the same of theirs (Franklin, 244).” In the opening statement, Franklin basically say that the only reason the natives were called savages is that the white society was a different culture and a different type of civilized than the natives, which the colonists obviously did not like. Franklin uses the rest of his essay to provide examples of how the two cultures are different and that the natives are more civilized. First, Franklin says, “The Indian men, when young, are hunters and warriors; when old, counselors; for all their government is a council of sages; there is no force, there are no prisons, no officer to compel obedience, or inflict punishment (Franklin, 244).” Native Americans did not need prisons or police for their communities, because everyone was obedient and respected the elders, were as the colonies had colonies set up prisons, like the Georgia colony, and troops acted as police. Franklin also uses a smaller point stating, “Having few artificial wants, they have abundance of leisure for improvement by conversation (Franklin, 244).” Which shows how selfish the colonists were compared to the Indians, saying the

Throughout his essay, he uses several rhetorical questions to exploit the discrimination and hypocrisy of the white men. Apes open the work with asking why is prejudice, when the one true God does not judge on outward appearance and he ask, “Is it right to hold and promote prejudices (Apes, 499)?” This one of the first rhetorical question by Apes, where he knows the answer, but he wants the reader to think about it, because they may not see the prejudice and hypocrisy. More discrimination took place with Apes than Franklin, like when he asked, “Why are we not protected in our person and our property throughout the union (Apes, 500)?” The natives had no rights, they were second-class citizens, and Agents to oversee Indian affairs, appointed by Commonwealth of Massachusetts, did not care if the Natives had lived or what transpired between the white men and them. Then, Apes wonders if the issue is skin or principle, asking if the white people would like it if they had their rights stripped away, because of the color of their skin. Apes knows this is what is happening to the Natives, this kind of discrimination, that is taught to be wrong, but it is just another clear display of the hypocrisy of the white man. Apes, being that converted Christian, starts using several Biblical references to show where God wants peace between all and love between one and another. Remembering that the