Reflection of Lemay's Criticism of Franklin's Autobiography

I found many of the concepts presented in J. A. Leo Lemay’s “Franklin's Autobiography and the American Dream” to be very interesting and insightful. This criticism really brought some ideas together and connected many ideas about Franklin’s life and his autobiography. Four major parts of the American Dream including: the rise to wealth, the rise to importance, the effect of individuals on the world and the worlds effect on them, and lastly how people believe their actions will effect the world (Lemay, J.A. Leo) and their surroundings all are very rationalistic in nature. The concepts and ideas analyzed in this criticism really relate Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography to the concepts of rationalism.


The criticism stated that the rise to riches shown in Franklin’s autobiography was not particularly important in an overall standpoint (Lemay, J.A. Leo). Lemay backed this up by saying that Franklin kept the focus away from his economic gains and only a few times boasted of his wealth and prosperity (Lemay, J.A. Leo). Though this may be true, I think that it is more important to the American Dream than it is given credit for. This is because the idea of rags to riches life is something that everyone has always dreamed about. Sure, Franklin did not focus on it, but it is a part of the American Dream that is more important in other stories.


The second point that Lemay confronts is that of the rise from impotence to importance, from dependence to independence, and from helplessness to power (Lemay, J.A. Leo). This is probably one of the most important topics of the American Dream. It is quite similar to the rise to riches, but it reaches a more personal and inner level. This is why I found that the rise to riches actually is more important than it was given credit for in Lemay’s criticism; because in all reality it is simply the idea of personal rise in a material sense. It may seem superficial to consider that a major part of the American Dream, but we truly do live in a material society.


Another topic that Lemay analyzes is how the world effects and individual and how an individual can effect the world (Lemay, J.A. Leo). This is a very rational concept presented by Franklin in his autobiography. Rationalists believe that there is a reason for everything and that reason should be used to explain things. It only makes sense that they would think that people have an impact on what happens in the world. With the rise in democracy during the time there is a prime example in that members of a society can determine how they are governed through the election of officials.


The final concept of the American Dream that Lemay spoke about is how people’s actions will affect the world (Lemay, J.A. Leo). This is similar to the previous section on how an individual can affect the world. Lemay stated that how the world worked was determined by the government, thinkers, and average people or lack there of. This is an idea that relates in a sense that all of those things are created by individuals, therefore, having a direct impact on society and the world as a whole.
The parts of the American Dream that Lemay analyzed through the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin are all extremely evident as parts of rationalism and the overall persona of Franklin. This criticism connected many concepts and ideas with excellent support.



Works Cited


Lemay, J.A. Leo. "Franklin's Autobiography and the American Dream." InThe Renaissance Man in the Eighteenth Century. Los Angeles: William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, 1978. Quoted as "Franklin's Autobiography and the American Dream." in Bloom, Harold, ed. The American Dream, Bloom's Literary Themes. New York: Chelsea Publishing House, 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=1&iPin=BLTTAD005&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 13, 2010).