Irving VS. Franklin

The personas of both Washington Irving and Benjamin Franklin are respectively unique. Benjamin Franklin’s work was one of the first examples of autobiographical literature coming out of the new world. Washington Irving was more inclined to write fiction heavily influenced by folklore and arguably produced the first evident elements of American pop culture.

Aside from this, both men had extremely different motifs for producing their various works. Franklin created his autobiography in hopes of recording his legacy for the benefit of his son. Irving aside from wishing to keep alive the folklore legends (brought here by the first Dutch settlers) also wanted to depict the wilderness of America at it’s most volatile. At a time when the first Americans were still searching for a new identity, works such as Irving’s, which promoted the learning of history, would have been rare.

In terms of the various personas created by both men, It would seem Benjamin Franklin made a much more conscious effort to develop his persona to be that of a moral teacher. He was also one of the first authors to insinuate that people as a whole had the choice to be either good or bad. A concept that would have been strongly opposed by the doctrine of predestination but eventually led to people questioning their way of thinking.

Washington Irving on the other hand, had several personas at his disposal. There was Diedrich Knickerbocker who told the stories of Dutch families and with his most famous work, The legend of Sleepy Hallow and it’s companion piece Rip Van Winkle, Irving takes the opportunity to romanticize aspects such as witch craft for the purpose of creating imaginative American literature which would in turn allow it’s readers a form of escape from the difficulties of their everyday realities.

In conclusion, even though both authors obviously chose different paths in the creation of their personas. They no doubt did it well enough to be able to influence and inspire generations of people with their individual works. As such, both are rendered deserving of their towering statures in the ranks of great American literature.

A letter to the founders of America

Dear J.A an T.J,

Much has changed since your demise nearly two centuries ago. The nation you founded was one built on the Puritanical beliefs brought by the first settlers of Colonial America, in hopes of finding their very own, city on a hill. Nowadays, the United States has come to signify, diversity and acceptance of all creeds and faiths living and practicing, as they so wish.

If you were both alive today, I feel you’d understand the notion, of what and who God is, is indeed very different in the year 2010 than what it was in your time. What you may find unsettling is that people have stepped out of God’s shadow. By this I mean, we no longer measure our strengths by God’s grace but more by our own actions and capabilities.

Thus the role of religion, has been somewhat relegated. It’s function in matters such as politics and education challenged over and over again until it has become painfully obvious that it’s in the very best interest of both State and Church that the two be kept separate from one another.

Having said this, it would be a mistake to believe that the people of America have become Godless. In fact the majority of the American population, still favor the belief in divine presence be it Christ, Allah or Yahweh. There is also a growing emergence of those who profess no faith at all and others who believe in a higher power but don't know for sure. In the year 2010 , this is their God given right - no pun intended !

Finally, the definition of God is ineffable. Some call him, " The great man in the sky" others may refer to him only through the use of the word Karma. To each his own. That should be the definition for God in the dictionary.

To end this letter, I offer only the phrase “One nation under God”, to convey the attitudes of The American people. God has not been forgotten in the United States. He lives in the very foundation, America rests on.

Mardi Gras: Puritans would lose their shit!

The concept Mardi Gras is inherently rooted in the Catholic traditions of Southern America. The Puritans were mostly situated in the North East and while it was a branch of Christianity like Catholisiscm, the two have distinctively different methods of practice.

Puritans believed in a much stricter code of conduct. The act of celebration and indulgence, which Mardi Gras had come to epitomize, would have been considered excessive to say the least.

Puritans would have also probably found fault in the fact that Mardi Gras customarily marks the start of Lent and so the idea of a celebration to commence a willing sacrifice to God would have probably been considered blasphemous.

Response to: Who is Ben?

From his autobiography, there is much evidence to show that Benjamin Franklin did indeed believe in the values shared by Puritans of this time. However, unlike previous authors like John Winthrop, his writings are not centered on religious beliefs. There is certainly much praise given to God and Christianity and Franklin himself documents his quest for “moral perfection”,

This being said, Benjamin Franklin’s true purpose in producing his memoir was to document his legacy for the benefit of his son. Therefore his work is considered one of the earliest recorded examples of an English language autobiography. As such, Franklin’s work is always focused on his experiences in various stages of his life.

There is also a distinct tone of condescendence in Franklin’s work, particularly for a man who praises virtues such as humility. This is especially evident in part 2 of his autobiography where he lists his infamous“13 virtues” in which Franklin attempts to propose a way of maintaining a pious God fearing life style similar but not nearly as detailed as Winthrop’s “A model of Christian.”

Still yet, the most significant difference between the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and the other various puritan authors we looked at is that Franklin’s, is the first thorough documentation of life in the new world. Puritan theology dictated that everything the settlers did was for the benefit of God and through God’s grace thus there was no real documentation suggesting life for the everyday person of this time.

Though Franklin’s opinions can often come across as arrogant and boastful, he never the less shares a first-hand glance at life in colonial America and the effects of a life spent in pursuit of the “The American Dream”.