| Gordon Wood is a history professor at Brown University. He has written a scholarly reevaluation of Benjamin Franklin. He reminds the reader that what Americans most prize about Franklin is that he is a symbol of the self-made American capitalist. Wood explains that that was only a part of Franklin's real personality. Franklin did come from humble beginnings. He was able to make a lot of money through his own hard working and cultivation of important friends. What most people today don't know is that Franklin retired from business at age 42. At that time, he became an aristocratic gentleman, and devoted himself to serving the public good.
Franklin spent much of his middle years living in London, representing the colonies with the British government. He was an extremely devoted follower of the King. It wasn't until a few years before the American Revolution that he broke with England. During the Revolutionary War, Franklin was the American envoy to France. He successfully secured France's support of the American cause. He was able to convince France to loan America a great deal of money, without which the War probably could not have been won. After the War, Franklin was not popular in America. The American people thought he was too partial to France. | ||
|
Plot & Themes job/profession: Job/profession/poverty story Yes Politician story? - revolutionary (non-communist) Period of greatest activity? - 1600-1899 - Subject of Biography Gender - Male Profession/status: Ethnicity - White Nationality - American Unusual characteristics: Setting How much descriptions of surroundings? - 3 () United States Yes The US: - Northeast Century: - 18th century Writing Style Book makes you feel? - thoughtful Pictures/Illustrations? - A ton 16-20 B&W How much dialogue in bio? - little dialog How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life? - 26-50% of book |
||