What Is Benjamin Franklin's Life

If one where to take a look at the Franklin, one may assume he has had a comfortable life. Being a landed gentleman whose pockets overflow with gold and whose kitchens overflow with meat and wine, he gives the outward appearance of one impermeable to worry. And this is an appearance he wishes to maintain, for as he trots towards Canterbury with a smile on his face and a whistle upon his lips, he is frightened for the soul of his son. Born to a family of freemen in the countryside of England, the Franklin had a relatively unremarkable early life. His father was a farmer, and had once been a Reeve, but was relieved from his duties due to his propensity for drink and distraction. For that matter, his father spent much of his life failing and …show more content…
Born of a hearty stock, she maintained the house like no other. While her husband would lay drunk, she would clean and cook and sew and farm. She would wake, and from morning to eve, set about her business. However, the task she held of the highest importance was rearing her child, the future Franklin. The family, although strained at times, was still a happy family. His father, though a drunkard, was never abusive nor cruel, nor was his mother overbearing. They would often walk along the serene lake of their village, pray together, and attend live readings of books. However, the Franklins favourite time of day growing up was always dinner. His mother was an excellent cook, and although they were poor, her mastery always ensured everybody left the table happy and full. The Franklin’s mother taught him the value of hard work. She encouraged him to wake early, and to help her with the farming. She had the Franklin clean him room thoroughly, and the rest of the house as well. She even saved small trifles of money to send the shire off to a private tutor, teaching him the ways of the gentry and of literacy. While the Franklins father was absent, his mother had to teach him to be a …show more content…
Shortly after the Franklin’s 17th birthday, his mother passed of cholera. While it was a great tragedy in the Franklin’s life, his mother had taught him well and prepared him for the world. Seeing nothing left for him in his home village, the Franklin moved to a small town in the outskirts of London. He took out a loan from the Jewish moneylender, and bought a good-sized farm. The Franklin ran this farm. He ran it every morning, until it was dark. He stayed up at night, filling out work orders, researching crop prices, reading farming literature, working out trade arrangement, and planning investments. He would then wake in the morning, and run the farm again. In the early planting and harvest season, he could even be seen in the fields, working twice as hard as any serf under his employ. The Franklin worked hard, because he was scared. He had seen his father lose his hopes and dreams over his laziness and worldly sins, and it frightened him. So, every day he was alive he worked as hard as he could and avoided all vices. He also lived frugally, never spending on anything frivolous. He lived out of a small apartment in the town. It was a one room affair, with naught but a bed and a dresser. He wore the same outfit every day, and he ate the same thing every