Franklin's Humorous Nature example essay topic

Benjamin Franklin took pride in almost every aspect of his life. There are many instances in which one could call him a vain man. Franklin writes to Ezra Stiles and speaks of his portrait being hung at Yale. Franklin complains that the portraits he has of himself do his stunning features no justice, and are certainly not worthy to be hung at Yale. He suggests that a new portrait be painted. Franklin clearly has issues as to how he will be remembered, and also how obsessed the man is with his looks.

He writes, "I do not think any one of the portraits you mention, as in my possession, worthy of the place and company you propose to place it in. You have an excellent artist lately arrived. If he will undertake to make one for you, I shall cheerfully pay the expense". This vanity of Franklin's is presented in his "Apology for Printers" as well.

He argues that printers print silly things not worth reading not because they want to, but because people are uneducated and like to read mindless garbage. Franklin, in his mind, has set himself on a higher pedestal than the everyday man. He has a better education therefore he is a better person. He writes, "They sometimes print vicious or silly things not worth reading, it may not be because they approve such things themselves, but because the people are so viciously and corruptly educated that good things are not encouraged". Franklin also presents a vain attitude toward religion.

He goes as far in his letter to Ezra Stiles as to indicate Jesus Christ as merely a good philosopher, and he himself does not care to take the time that religion requires. He believes that he will find the truth for himself. The man put himself above others' intelligence and beliefs and disregarded them as distractions and wastes of time for him. He says, "I have, with most of the present Dissenters in England, some doubts as to his divinity; tho' it is a question I do not dogmatize upon, having never studied it, and think it needless to busy myself with it now, when I expect soon an opportunity of knowing the truth with less trouble". Franklin clearly displays his vanity throughout his writings. Benjamin Franklin often used his own sarcastic sense of humor to win over his audience.

An example is Franklin's "Apology for Printers", in which he defends himself after accepting and printing a routine announcement of the sailing of a ship with a captain thought to be anticlerical. Frequently being censored and condemned for printing material that others thought should not be printed, he does not see this as a valid argument, but rather as comic relief as he addresses those that disagree with him. He defends his work saying, "I got five shillings by it". His sarcasm comes into play when he asks that no one read his apology when he or she is in a bad mood. This is merely Franklin's attempt to lighten the mood for the reader and gain support in accepting his apology. He says, "I have the following few particulars to offer, some of them in my behalf, by way of Mitigation, and some not much to the purpose; but I desire none of them be read when the reader is not in a very good mood humour".

Franklin's humorous nature is seen in the beginning of "Apology for Printers". He admits to the fact that his work often offends people and says that it might be necessary to write an apology for all occasions and publish it once a year. Obviously, Franklin is not being serious, but it is a clever way to start the apology with a joke and put the audience on his side. Franklin jokes, "I have sometimes thought it might be necessary to make a standing apology for myself, and publish it once a year, to be read upon all occasions of that nature".

Franklin's clever use of humor is extremely effective in gaining the support of his audience.