The Autobiography was not only the first successful American biographic work, but also one of the American national literature early representatives. It had a long and valuable influence since it published in1868 . As for the work, we can appreciate and analyze it from different angles.
First , the view of biographic literature, author was born and grew up in a poor American family, no formal education, no romantic love story, let alone the help from powerful people. He depended on himself persistence and endeavor achieved success which was different from traditional European biographic works. In Franklin’s work, an ordinary American people depended on himself diligence and faith achieved his goals from youth to adult, from childish to mature under influence of social environment, it’s a typical example of American people. This person were not only qualified with the spirit of Puritanism such as diligence, practicability and aspirant, but also qualified with the character of confidence and optimistic for future which was just American people should have.
The Autobiography showed the social picture of American society in 18th century and the spirit of the age of enlightenment. It had an important influence for the formation of American national character, to a certain extent, started to reverse European’s bias for American people. Second, from the point of narrative language, the style of writing is personalized, pure, simple and fresh. It’s totally different from European writing style.
The excerpt of first chapter, Franklin played a role of father, his tone was kind and soft. He told his son there were some inducements that excite him to write this book. From the poverty and obscurity in which he was born and in which he passed his earliest years, he has raised himself to a state of affluence and some degree of celebrity in the world. As constant good fortune has accompanied him even to an advanced period of life, his descendents will perhaps be desirous of learning the means, which he employed, and which, thanks to God, so well succeeded with him. His descendents may also deem them fit to be imitated ,should any of them find themselves in similar circumstances. The excerpt of second chapter , Franklin as an author ,he kept distance with us and educated us very well through his individual experience. In this part he told us he was ambitious ,wasn’t satisfied with an apprenticed and wanted to be successful. On the other hand, because of religious persecution, their whole families immigrated to a reign of freedom –America. Since then,he began his mystery and legend life. Franklin's Autobiography had received widespread praise, both for its historical value as a record of an important early American and for its literary style. It was often considered the first American book to be taken seriously by Europeans as literature. William Dean Howells in 1905 asserted that "Franklin's is one of the greatest autobiographies in literature, and towers over other autobiographies as Franklin towered over other men."
It acknowledged as one of the great autobiographies of the world. In the Autobiography, we got a full picture of Franklin as the Renaissance scholar, fascinated by all types of learning and interested in doing whatever he could to make life a little bit better for mankind, based on the notion that the way to please God was by doing good to other men. This interest manifested itself in public service and scientific progress.
There were some virtues in the book, these names of virtues as follows:
1.Temperance.Eat not to dullness;drink not to elevation.
2.Slience.Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself;avoid trifling conversation.
3.Order.Let all your things have their places;let each part of your business have its time.
4.Resolution.Resolve to perform what you ought;perform without fall what you resolve.
