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Ben Franklin Autobiography Analysis

Terms in this set (9)

What can we learn from Franklin's schedule?
We can manage to achieve an attempt in building character and hold ourselves accountable to it.
Why would Fitzgerald allude to the schedule in the Great Gatsby?
Because Gatsby was a man dedicated to high morals and standards. It makes sense for him to follow these virtues.
"As I knew or I thought I knew, what was right or wrong, I did not see what I might not always do the one and avoid the other"
He had been taught what is a good thing and what is a bad thing to do. He did not understand why he did the bad things even when he knew they were bad.
"While my care was employed in guarding against one fault, I was often surprised by another"
While he was trying to not do a particular bad thing like eating too many sweets for example, he was being caught off guard by another bad thing he did involuntarily like telling someone off because he was so cranky from not eating sweets.
"I determined to give a week's strict attention to each of the virtues successively"
He had 13 virtues to being a good perfect person and he would perfect on a virtue each week. By this logic, in 13 weeks he could be the perfect man.
"I was surprised to find myself so much fuller of faults than I imagined."
He failed by week 3. He saw that he isn't too close to perfect.
"The man came every now and then from the wheel to see how the work went on, and at length would take the ax as it was, without further grinding. 'No,' said the smith, 'turn on, turn on; we shall have it bright by and by; as yet, it is only speckled.' 'Yes,' said the man, 'but I think I like the speckled ax best.'"
This is saying that try as we might we will never be perfect people. That does not mean we should not attempt to. At the end of the day, we will have to settle with at least some imperfections. But then again, who likes perfect people?
"...a perfect character might be attended with the inconvenience of being envied and hated; and that a benevolent man should allow a few faults in himself, to keep his friend in countenance."
People hate perfect people
"But on the whole, tho' I never arrives at perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell short of it, yet I was by the endeavor made a better and happier man than I otherwise would have been, if I had not attempted it"
Even though he did not reach his goal the fact that he had the courage to try makes him a better man. In his attempt he learned about himself and maybe something rubbed off on him that he is better and happier than he was before.
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