Miss Polly Baker Speech Analysis

Easton Power

ENGL 2327.02

Professor Baker

4-22-17

Miss Polly Baker: A True Work for Equality

Originally published in 1747, Benjamin Franklin wrote the speech of Miss Polly Baker as a work of fiction, this work indicates Franklin’s usually progressive views of women for his time period. Although for many years some did believe the story and speech to be true, the character of Miss Polly Baker, and anything that concerned her was completely made up. While some praised the speech, acclaiming its message and welcoming it into the canon of modern American Literature, others saw it as it would question the traditional life as so many people of this time knew. Despite these objections, the speech of Miss Polly Baker remains widely read today by reason

Who is put on trial due to five counts of wedlock (having children when not married). Due to being underfunded, Miss Baker represents herself against a court of only men. Polly Baker sees that she has done no wrong, and yet has been dragged into court multiple of times facing fines, and public embarrassment. Miss Baker then peruses to plead to the court and ask them to persuade the governor to remit her fine in this case. “This is the Fifth Time, Gentlemen, that I have been dragg’d before your Courts on the same Account; twice I have paid heavy fines, and twice have been brought to public Punishment, for want of money to pay for those fines” (The Norton Anthology, The Speech of Miss Polly Baker. Pg. 464). Miss Baker continues to argue her case saying that after each account of wedlock, not once was the child’s father held accountable. This pushes the point of view Benjamin Franklin’s earnest plea for women’s equality. Miss Baker then states that it should be “Praise worthy” that she is having all these children, for it will help repopulate the world. Miss Polly Baker states that she is the only one being wronged out of this whole situation she is in. She says her first husband betrayed her, and her former lover is now a magistrate and a pillar of the community, but she keeps getting fined and punished, when he hasn’t even been questioned about a wed locked child. The

This is due to Franklin taking upon the roll of a women narrator who is pleading for women’s equality. Franklin wanted his readers to easily understand the issue on the lack of women’s rights during this time period, and assumes the role in order to reach out to other people without getting shunned away because he is a man. His main goal in this work was to entertain, but the significance of this work points out the importance of women’s unequal rights. Through the voice of Miss Polly Baker he not only created a work of satire but an earnest plea for women’s rights and