The Way To Wealth Rhetorical Analysis

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Benjamin Franklin and his focus on individualism in The Way to Wealth

The concept of individualism was a large factor that not only contributed to many of the different works by Benjamin Franklin but also influenced his own way of living. The idea of individualism as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary is "The habit of being independent and self-reliant; behaviour characterized by the pursuit of one's own goals without reference to others; free and independent individual action or thought". Not only did Franklins goal of self improvement through this idea of individualism affect his daily life, it also influenced many individuals to do the same and improve themselves. Specifically in his short piece "The Way to Wealth", Franklin focuses …show more content…
To begin, Franklin is thankful for the fans of his books for they are the individuals who purchase the pieces and who also take away wisdom from his works. While he inspires some readers, the effects he has on others leaves them thinking that he is selfish to his own needs, "Franklin a garrulous but insensitive man of the world" (236). This insensitivity that Franklin exudes upon his audience is one of the most prominent negative effects of his focus on individualism since his goal is to become independent from those around him. Oppositely to being seen as a insensitive man to readers, Franklin demonstrates that he remains truly humble when he listens to Father Abraham note that Richard has wisdom beyond what Franklin had taught throughout his …show more content…
These negative effects include vanity and a self centered way of thinking. From the first opening paragraphs of this piece, Franklin expresses to readers that the greatest satisfaction an author can attain is the acknowledge of being studied and quoted by other authors. While he reminisces in the feeling of being well known, instead of fully enjoying the moment, he attempts to remain modest by asking readers to try and see his statement without vanity. Franklin says "for though I have been, if I may say it without vanity, an eminent author of almanacs annually now for a full quarter of a century" (236). This request to readers to remain as humble as possible becomes contradictory in view of the fact that Franklin specifically refers to his achievements while not wanting to be seen as though he is bragging. Along with struggling to avoid vanity, selfishness arises in people working towards individualism because they become increasingly focused on improving themselves, therefore forgetting those around him. Along with encouraging the town to focus on themselves, Father Abraham refers to God and says "God helps them that helps themselves" (237). This referral to God heavily reinforces the idea that if the people of the town focus on individualistic goals, they will be rewarded in the afterlife by God for helping themselves. The problem then arises that if people become only
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