The personae Benjamin Franklin and Washington Irving use in their works allow the authors to write without fear of dodgy repercussions. In the case of Franklin, he appears as a cosmopolitan, questioning individual seeking personal betterment. He is the perfect model for his son (he is moral and an intellectual), which keeps the reader from noticing Franklin’s actual personality of an egotistical chauvinist. Franklin’s persona pleases his audience’s sensibilities and, therefore, gives him credibility as a decent self-made man.
Likewise, the persona of Diedrich Knickerbocker that Washington Irving creates legitimizes the stories of “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleep Hollow.” Knickerbocker is a humanist interested in preserving the Dutch culture. He seems to be a simple man well liked by all; Knickerbocker is even known to have an honest reputation due to his “scrupulous accuracy.” However, this accuracy is also undercut due to his fantastical descriptions that often add humor and the supernatural events that occur in the two stories. Franklin’s persona is also undercut by his constant mentioning of vanity and humility, such as the vain act of writing an autobiography.
Both authors use a persona to create an authentic, human figure as compared to crediting God and the devil like the Puritans did in their works. The personae help mark the shift from other-worldly to “earth based practicality” in terms of legitimacy. However, Franklin’s persona is much closer related to Puritan ideology because he supposedly promotes virtues. Irving’s persona merely helps promote supernatural stories.
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