Ben Franklin Self Made Man Essay

Benjamin Franklin is considered to be a self-made man because he rises from humble origins to become a man of great social standings and wealth. In this way, Franklin is seen as a prototypical American and is the first written example of someone who has achieved the classic American dream. Franklin ultimately went from rags to riches by constant hard work and self-improvement and self-improving his knowledge and skills throughout his life.

Even though Franklin notes that he and his family were by no means aristocrats, they did live relatively comfortable. They were comfortable in the sense that even though Benjamin Franklin started working at a very young age, he was still able to go to grammar school at age eight. There he quickly rose to the head of his class, and before long he was sent to a different grammar school to develop his writing and math skills. While he failed at math, he was very good at writing. Although Franklin did not finish his education, he still continued to read and write. Franklin’s father, noticing that he was particularly interested in reading put Benjamin to work for his brother James who was a printer in Boston. At age twelve, Benjamin Franklin signed an indenture to work for his brother for the next eight years.

In turn, these skills enabled him to captivate and influence the world around him in the ways that he thought that great events should unfold. Whether influencing political thought or improving the printing press Franklin’s keen mind and beliefs unfolded. He made himself better, he made his community better through his writings and people listened. Thus, I do think that Benjamin Franklin was a self-made man, but I do believe he had certain advantages such as being somewhat educated and experience working in a printers shop at a very young age that gave him a leg up in becoming the man we know him as