Literature discussion on Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson - Essay Example

Literature discussion on Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson Franklin's Effect on other How does Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography reinforce or reform the views presented in other works by men in the 18th CenturyIn his Autobiography Benjamin Franklin creates not only the classic story of the self-made man but also attempts to recreate himself and his career as the prototype of an American success story. He deserts Puritanism in favor of the enlightenment's rationalism. In effect, he reflects a central shift in American society in the eighteenth century.

Such varied writers as Herman Melville, Mark Twain, Thoreau, were said to respond to the myth that Franklin creates. They follow Franklin's ideas.Franklin has inspired a growing confidence in the eighteenth century that humanity could, through personal effort and social reform, analyze and deal with social problems. His belief that theory should be tested chiefly by experience - not logic - also reflects the belief of his age that reason should be tested pragmatically. His works reflect the growing awareness of America as a country with values and interests distinct from those of England.

In the later eighteenth century, ethnic and religious traditions were shed and in their place a national identity based on shared ideas was embraced. This was seen by many progressive intellectuals as ways to free the individual from the constricting hand of the repressive past. Franklin's writings were influential in this regard.Paine's TenseHow do you feel about Thomas Paine writing in the first person Do you think Paine is forthright in his writingWriting in the first person is a technique that Thomas Paine effectively used as a writer.

With it, he was able to spread his views. Paine was considered a radical pamphleteer as he had anticipated and helped stir up the American Revolution through his powerful writings. For example, it was common sense to support the colonies in their fight with England and to this effect he put out a small pamphlet, Common Sense. The purpose was to effect a powerful change in the minds of many men, and won, at a critical time, a number of American colonists over to the cause of independence. Yes, Paine is forthright in his writings.

He wrote of human conditions that meant little to anyone in those years. As editor of the Pennsylvania Magazine, he condemned Negro slavery, the political condition of women, the lack of copy right laws, the cruelty to animals, the custom of dueling, and war as a means of settling international disputes. He viewed all government as, at best, a necessary evil. He was among the earliest proponents of universal, free public education, a guaranteed minimum income, and many other ideas considered radical at the time.

Jefferson's Writing AbilityThomas Jefferson was never considered to be a good public speaker. How do you deem him as a writer Explain your reasoning.Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. It was a document that would drastically change the course of world history. As Jefferson wrote this Declaration of Independence, he was not concerned about what might happen to him for writing such a treasonous document. The document was to explain why Independence was necessary. The Declaration of Independence was largely a listing of actions that the King George had carried out that violated the fundamental rights of the colonists.

Jefferson presented ideas on basic rights stir up from the thoughts of such men as George Mason and John Locke such as -"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Jefferson's writing against the British Empire was quite harsh.It is not easy to write something that would get somebody to change one's beliefs and make an action - especially for something as complex as independence of states under a colonizer.

The consequent response would have to involve the decision not only of just one person but a council of thinkers. If the document failed in getting the British Empire to act positively, at least it should get some positive action from the troops of the American forces. The writing of Thomas Jefferson was so successful that the mission of independence began rolling.As a writer, Thomas Jefferson is great in the genre of argumentative writing.