The 18th century of America in the Autobiography

In his famous Americas Coming of Age（1915）， Van Wyck Brooks attempted a general survey of eighteenth-century America， “…nor any one more typically than Franklin the infinite flexibility of its lower levels.” He stated that Franklin represented a half part of 18th of America as a spokesman of enlightenment. The autobiography is an eloquent elucidation of the fact that Franklin was spokesman for the new order of eighteenth-century. This essay tries to find that what the Autobiography tells us about the 18th of America.

First， Franklin shows from a sociological standpoint the possibilities for economic mobility in colonial America. The colonial America is a new “opportunity of land”， different from England the solidified aristocracy. Here in the autobiography， Franklin proved the potential of this virgin land through his own experience. Franklin himself arrived in Philadelphia at 17 years old without a penny to his name， and from those beginnings he worked his way up to being a successful printer， a talented inventor and a Founding Father of America. Just like what he wrote in the first section， “Having emerged from the poverty and obscurity in which I was born and bred， to a state of affluence and some degree of reputation in the world.” To some degree， the 18th century of America offers this wonderful environment which tolerates all people from different origins and social classes to make a living， to write destiny and to make future.

Second， Franklins idealism and faith in the betterment of mankind， as well as his Deism and utilitarianism， places him intellectually in the Age of Reason， a time when people often believed optimistically that the world and could be perfected through science. Religion was also questioned during this age， and that questioning manifests itself in Franklins philosophy. Franklins creation of the Junto whose debates were to be conducted in the sincere spirit of inquiry after truth is a testament to his interest in the importance of debate， another 18th century intellectual ideal. Typical among the virtues he listed for himself to acquire is “order，” a predominant notion of the Age of Enlightenment， the watchword of the eighteenth century， as best exemplified， in literature for instance， in the symmetrical heroic couplets of Alexander Pope and his school. Franklin borrowed Popes words to tell to his fellowmen the best virtues of man in that century： moderation and temperance. That is to say， the 18th century of America also ablaze with the wisdom of pursuing identification of humans reason.

Third， Franklin shows us how people went about their day to day lives in the 1700s. While this isnt a major thrust of the book， we learn about the way apprenticeships worked etc.， among a variety of other glimpses into 18th century life. John Collins， a “bookish lad” whom Franklin befriends in Boston is a microcosm of a large part of the life of common people. After his plans evaporated， he became an alcoholic and end up moving to Caribbean. The depiction of distinct fate also shows what kind of spirit is preferred in 18th century， that is， getting rich by hard work and thrift instead of depending on others to live. Franklin asserts that he achieved his success through a solid work ethic meanwhile offers these distinct fates. Thats why when we read this book 200 years later to find some features at that time， we can clearly feel continuation of spirit through sketching little figures. The panoramic view in respect to the 18th century gradually emerges when we try to figure out the life of every character in the autobiography.

Talking about Benjamin Franklin， his fame as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States is often mentioned. But as a writer， he left a majestic record of a growing colonel in 18th century by telling his own story. Thanks to his hard work， we can get a quite full picture of a flourishing opportunity land where hard work is encouraged and God always bless. It is this land that offers a beneficial environment for the growth of American dream. To some degree， the 18th century in the autobiography has capacity of foretelling the future.

【作者簡介】馬曉惠（1997.05- ），女，漢族，山東東營人，本科在讀，西北工業大學。