These are the two Discussion Posts. Please review each of them and write a peer review—–
In your response, you must use specific dialogue, details and/or textual evidence from the play to support your answer. Be sure to use quotation marks when you cite your information from the texts.
1. FIRST DISCUSSION POST – The Grit and Grind of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was always pertained to as a self-made man. Franklin thought that improving oneself was important to achievement. Self-improvement, self-discipline, and self-education are the major components of a self-made man. Improving yourself will finally enrich the community as a whole. In his autobiography, Benjamin Franklin talks about his determination to strive to be better and never settle for “just enough.” He intended to create the principal man to understand man’s natural propensity. “But on the whole, though I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining but fell far short of it, yet I was, by the endeavor, a better and happier man than I otherwise should have been had I not attempted it; as those who aim at perfect writing by imitating the engraved copies, their hand is mended by the endeavor, and is tolerable while it continues fair and legible.” (Norton 274) Franklin gives examples from his own life that opposes his ethical and social beliefs. These paradoxes mainly result in realistic inclinations. Franklin utilizes these paradoxes to teach people to be familiar with their realistic inclinations and to attempt and withstand them. Benjamin Franklin knows that enhancing oneself is a path with several weaknesses. Not just the “self-made man” was entirely perfect. People now remember Benjamin Franklin as a formidable figure who generated immense value to his community and the future generations. However, He also had detractors. Some taught Franklin was dangerous and untrustworthy, willing to do or say just about anything to line his pockets, win praise, or confound his enemies. The normal man would have cracked under the pressure of receiving criticisms from other influential figures. Nonetheless, his drive and determination defeated all the negativity pointed towards him. Franklin’s objective was to create people familiar with their inclinations and to assist them to withstand the realistic preferences of man, which would restrict our dependency on other people.
Works Cited
Norton, William. “The Norton Anthology of American Literature.” Home Page, wwnorton.com/books/9780393624090.
2. SECOND DISCUSSION POST
When I think about Benjamin Franklin I think of him as an American Idealist and Inventor, because he was a man of God and he achieved so many things in his life that helped build America. Franklin used his platform to publish solutions for political problems in America. On May 9, 1754 Franklin printed a section in his newspaper titled Join or Die with the intention to introduce a plan that America should stand as one country to before the war against the French and Native Americans. He also used his newspaper to rebel against the British. ” On October 31, 1765, the Publishers announced the suspension of the Pennsylvania Gazette in Protest of the Provisions of the stamp act, which required that newspapers be printed on imported, stamped paper that required payment of a duty. Between November 7 and December 26, Franklin’s partner David Hall issued news sheets on unstamped paper without a masthead, thus avoiding legal repercussions while satisfying the subscribers.” Franklin was viewed by many as a scientist, because of his own experiments on electricity. “Franklin demonstrated his new theory of positive and negative charges, suggested the electrical nature of lightning, and proposed a tall, grounded rod as a protection against lightning.” Today we still use positive and negative with referring to electricity. He also came up with ideas to battle the common cold. Franklin was known as a man with many inventions. He invented a more efficient stove called the franklin stove which was a safer stove for consumers to use in the home. ” A series of partitioned iron plates permits a continuous supply of fresh warm air separated from the smoke, to be distributed equally throughout the room. By controlling the airflow, less heat is lost and much less wood is needed.” Franklin also invented a more enjoyable Arominica named the franklin armonica. The original armonica was invented by Richard Puckeridge, but Benjamin Franklin Improved Richards version of the armonica by “fitting a serious of graduated glassed discs on a spindle laid horizontal in a case and revolving the spindle by a foot treadle, Franklin could create bell-like tones by touching his wet fingers to the revolving glasses.” Franklin’s armonica was lately used by musicians like Beethoven and Mozart. Benjamin Franklin was a very advanced man of his time and whether it was politics or trying to just simply improve the everyday lives of people around the world he wasn’t afraid to take risks. Benjamin Franklin is a true definition of an American Genius.
