Nath 1Tara Nath

Mr. Youngs

AP English Literature

8 December 2014

From Rousseau to Franklin

The Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason,

emphasized a preoccupation with self that spread across Europe

and eventually to the United States. At a time of evolutionary

thoughts, enlightenment philosophers, scientists, and authors

questioned what were considered the normal practices of the time

and did not hesitate to challenge what was commonly accepted.

Enlightenment philosophers such as John Locke, Voltaire, and

Jean-Jacques Rousseau gave way to a new, intellectual age that

would influence others for centuries to come. The philosophies of

the Enlightenment not only inspired monumental, enduring works

such as the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights,

but also distinguished authors. This lasting influence can be

seen by comparing Confessions by Jean-Jacques Rousseau to the

later Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Both are highly

acclaimed and accredited autobiographies, commonly recognized as

two of the greatest to date. Moreover, the themes, ideas, and

principles presented in each autobiography are extremely similar;

suggesting that Benjamin Franklin was influenced by Rousseau's

Confessions.

Nath 2 Today, many individuals are familiar with Rousseau's

Confessions which revolutionized the world of autobiographies.

Before Rousseau, autobiographies were commonly works of self-

explanation. Then, Rousseau "pioneered the special kind of

preoccupation with the self that prevails everywhere

today"(McGinley). This dramatically focused the meaning of

autobiographies more towards self-documentation. Rousseau's

Confessions focuses on the events in his life and his actions and

emotions regarding those events in comparison to earlier

autobiographies written and published as a way for an author to

chronicle events and justify decisions in their lives. This

dramatic innovation in the meaning of the literature forged the

autobiography as it is known today (Rahn). Confessions touches on

many dynamic topics that were pertinent during the mid 1700's

that had not been discussed in the way Rousseau had ever before.

He called attention to everything from friendships, fights and

trouble with the public. This broad focus on more than just the

positive aspects of Rousseau's life allowed the autobiography to

be entertaining and informative to its readers; a combination not

available before its publication. Literary critic, Harold Bloom,

points out that "for literary power in self-representation, for

originality in sensibility, for strength or influence upon what

came after - for all of these, the Confessions are beyond

comparison with any possible rival..." With this overarching

Nath 3power and influence of Confessions in mind, it makes one wonder

how many individuals and authors were impacted by the

autobiography.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is a hallmark

autobiography in the field of literature. Expert Francis Bowen

states "Franklin's autobiography interests us, because it tells

the whole story of his life, - his good and bad qualities, his

failings and errors, and even those small vices which are more

humiliating to confess than great sins." These distinctive

aspects of Franklin's autobiography are what make it one of the

most interesting in literature. Overall, Franklin was a

renaissance man. This attribute comes across strongly in his

autobiography where experts claim he has done much to increase

and polish the general understanding of human nature and personal

development(Bowen). Further topics covered in the work include

the steps to attain wealth and happiness and what actions will

result in vice and punishment. These sections and lessons

continue to be relatable to readers now over 200 years later,

further emphasizing the absolute influence of this timeless work.

Even though some may deem it easy to see the similarities

between the autobiographies of Rousseau and Franklin, some

critics say each work is entirely independent. Experts claim the

only resemblance between the two authors is their startlingly

Nath 4similar backgrounds: both men were uneducated teenage runaways

who were rebellious sons of the working class who just happen to

now be considered the original apprentices. The shockingly

similar pasts of the authors is claimed to account for many of

the similarities in their autobiographies. Regarding the

similarities in bluntness, critics contrast Franklin and Rousseau

with the evidence that "the frankness of Rousseau's Confessions

is all assumed; the writer is always acting a part, and is most

theatrical when he affects to be most free from artifice. The

simplicity of Franklin is that of a child; it wins out love

rather than commands our admiration"(Bowen). Bowen expands and

states that there are no similarities between their works. Bowen

claims that Franklin's autobiography is so unique and memorable

that there is no parallel to it in any language.

In contrast to the opinion of various critics, it can be seen

through the points of focus and utilization of frank language in

both Confessions and The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin that

the two autobiographies possess a multitude of similarities

suggesting that Rousseau's autobiography influenced that of

Franklin.

The first point of influence from Rousseau to Franklin can

be seen in their focus on self development from childhood to

adulthood. Rousseau states, "Such were the errors and faults of

my youth. I have related the story of them with a fidelity that

Nath 5brings pleasure to my heart"(Bloom). Confessions concentrated on

a new, central idea of the Enlightenment; the proposition that

childhood is the “central formative period in life”(Reill).

Rousseau embodied this new philosophy in the majority of

Confessions by sharing childhood experiences such as learning to

read and running away and explained how these actions lead to the

development of his character. As literary expert Reill states,

Rousseau intended to convey his "inner development" rather than

chronicle his life story and world events. This autobiographical

philosophy was not practiced before Rousseau implemented it in

Confessions resulting in Confessions becoming an innovation in

the realm of autobiographies. Expert Peter Abbs concurs by citing

Rousseau's own statement as evidence:

To know a character well it is necessary to distinguish that

which has been established by nature, to see how he has

formed himself, what occasions have developed him, what

sequence of secret affections has rendered him thus and how

he has modified himself to produce on occasions the most

contradictory and most unexpected results.

Rousseau establishes a brand new autobiographical structure

focusing on inner development, a topic never previously explored

in autobiographies. This direct quotation by Rousseau informs the

reader of his thoughts and motives regarding how he wrote his

work and his unique philosophy that he utilized to share the

Nath 6events in his entire life. According to Rousseau, one only has

the ability to find themselves if they look at their lives

independent of the world around them and to know the difference

between what is in one’s control and what is not. Only at that

point of self-discovery is it possible to come close to

understanding what the human self truly is. This is the key and

central idea of Confessions that makes it stand apart from other

autobiographies that came before it.

Similarly, Franklin also disconnects himself and his feeling

from those of the outside world and people around him to focus on

his developmental process from childhood to adulthood. Expert

Suanna Davis claims that instead of Franklin's autobiography

covering the current events of his era (the Revolutionary War),

he "provides perspectives" of events that he encountered that

influenced his personal development. Critic Francis Bowen concurs

with her statement. "He writes the private history not only of

his actions, but of his thoughts..." Franklin shared the

influence of events on his life through conveying his thoughts

and how he reacted to and grew from the matter at hand, rather

than simply chronicling these events. The language utilized by

Franklin closely resembles that of Rousseau; the focus is to be

on personal development, not the outside world. Franklin also

shares his personal development throughout his life by means of

Nath 7his thirteen virtues introduced in his autobiography. These

virtues include humility, moderation, sincerity, and resolution

to name a few. These are the central principles of his personal

development that can be applied by others to help them also

improve their lives. This focus on Franklin's personal

development through childhood and his philosophy on life closely

parallels the purpose of Confessions. Both autobiographies

centered around the same theme of personal development.

Considering Rousseau had just pioneered this autobiographical

quality and received tremendous positive feedback, it is easily

deduced that Franklin was influenced by the style and influence

of Rousseau's work and wanted his, too, to reflect a similar

message with a similar scope of influence.

The second point of similarity between Confessions and The

Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is both men's focus on the

pursuit of bettering themselves throughout their lives despite

their wrongdoings. In Confessions, Rousseau tracks his life on

the basis of bettering himself. He points out on various

occasions what he has done erroneously, and explains how he could

have approached a situation that could have resulted in a

different and more desirable outcome. Abbs cites Rousseau's

direct statement in Confessions:

I will fulfill rigorously my titles and never the most

fearful nun will make a more rigorous examination of

Nath 8conscience than I prepare for myself. Never will she reveal

more scrupulously to her confessor all the innermost

recesses of her soul that I am going to display to the

public:...I am saying here things about myself which are

very odious and of which I have a horror of wishing to

excuse myself, but also it is the most secret history of my

soul.

Here, Rousseau is admitting that he did not live a perfect life;

he committed sins and acted against his better judgment. Main

examples of his since are included in his accounts of his sex

life, thefts, and in the abandonment of his children(Reill).

However, in Confessions he wishes to share these misdeeds with

his readers as to show how he was able to pursue a lofty and

esteemed life despite these mistakes, teaching the reader that

they too can overcome negative decisions. By sharing how he was

able to recover from these errors in judgment he gave his

autobiography a quality that allows it to continue as applicable

to readers today.

Likewise, Franklin also shares of his faults and uses them

as applicable lessons for achieving personal growth. Critic

Francis Bowen describes The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin as

a "picture of the pursuit of knowledge, fame, and fortune, under

difficulties, and an instructive manifestation of the workings of

character." This description is accurate upon looking into what

Nath 9topics were discussed in the work. Franklin claims that the,

"hard-to-be-governed passion of youth had hurried me frequently

into intrigues with low women that fell my way, which were

attended with some expense and great inconvenience, besides a

continual risk to my health by a distemper"(Franklin 94). This

direct quotation by Franklin allows the reader to see that he,

similar to Rousseau, did not live a perfect life. He committed

sins that he was ashamed of. However, he, like Rousseau, uses

those past faults to show the reader how he learned from those

events, and how he was not proud of those past fallacies in

judgment. This similarity between not being afraid to share their

past wrongdoings and using those instances as points where a

lesson can be learned show yet another similarity between the

autobiographies of Rosseau and Franklin and another

autobiographical trait Franklin learned from Rousseau's

trendsetting Confessions.

The culminating similarity between Rousseau and Franklin's

autobiographies is the emphasis on truth. Throughout Confessions,

Rousseau does not censor moments in his life, he makes even the

most intimate details available to his readers. This willingness

to be entirely truthful despite the possibility of serious

repercussions did not exist before Rousseau. Other

autobiographical authors did not have the same originality with

Nath 10sensibility, or in Rousseau's case, lack thereof (Bloom). Bloom

supports this claim with Rousseau's own words:

I must leave nothing unsaid. I have never concealed my poor

Mamma's vices or my own...However warm a pleasure I take in

honouring a person who is dear to me, I still do not wish to

disguise [his or her] faults...

Rousseau's outright statement informs the reader that it does

not matter how embarrassing or corrupt his faults are, they will

not be excluded from his text; he will state everything in a

frank and open manner as to convey the absolute truth. As the

title suggests, Rousseau wishes to confess his sins and share his

experiences with an unconditional truth so that others may see

the unabridged version of every detail of his interesting life.

Consonantly, Franklin also centralizes the focus of his

autobiography on the entire truth of his life. Franklin utilizes

a simplicity and fullness of language throughout his work that is

understood by all ages(Bowen). This fullness and simplicity of

his language is the same characteristic that allows him to be

completely honest when depicting questionable events in his life.

Bowen again supports this claim with the statement, "The writer

keeps back nothing; he mentions his past errors and occasional

lapses from virtue with the same delightful simplicity and

frankness that mark the account of the more honorable portions of

his life..." Franklin's willingness to be downright honest

Nath 11throughout the course of his autobiography despite the topic at

hand parallels the absolute honesty of Rousseau throughout

Confessions. Both men wrote bluntly despite the subject; neither

hid the truth from their pages. Instead, they laid it all out for

everyone to see. Everything from courtships, family issues, and

the struggles of growing up were discussed in a matter-of-fact

tone that showcased the truth of their stories without hesitation

or apology (Bowen). This rare quality of autobiographies allows

the reader to connect with the author more; they are not trying

to learn from a "perfect" individual that authors are made out to

be in other previous autobiographies. This practice was not

established or followed until Rousseau authored his Confessions.

Soon thereafter, Franklin wrote his autobiography with the same

frankness as Rousseau, again seemingly influenced by the truth

conveyed in Confessions.

Through the comparison of personal development, self-

betterment, and absolute truth presented in Rousseau's

Confessions and in The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, it can

be seen that Franklin was influenced by Rousseau's

autobiographical work. Fundamentally, Rousseau establishes the

autobiography as we know it today. Bloom states that Confessions

is unique beyond comparison with any other autobiographical work

that came before it "for literary power in self-representation,

for originality in sensibility, for strength of influence upon

Nath 12what came after..." This claim further supports the widely

accepted truth that Rousseau developed the autobiography as it is

known today and continues to influence both individuals and

authors beyond his own time. This timeless and powerful work was

a main source of influence for the Autobiography of Benjamin

Franklin. Upon comparing the distinctive properties of both

autobiographies; the life-long personal development, the

detailed pursuit of self betterment, and the focus on conveying

the entire truth, one can see that Franklin encompassed

autobiographical characteristics in his work used before him only

by Rousseau. Consequently, it can be concluded that Benjamin

Franklin was influenced by new autobiographical trends

established in Confessions by Jean-Jacques Rousseau when

authoring his own autobiography.

Nath 13

Works Cited

Abbs, Peter. "The Full Revelation of the Self: Jean-Jacques

Rousseau and the Birth of Deep Autobiography." Philosophy

Now. 2008. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.

Bloom, Harold. "Bloom on Jean-Jacques Rousseau." Essayists and

Prophets, Blooms's 20th Anniversary Collection.

Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2005. Bloom's

Literature. Facts on File, Inc. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.

Bowen, Francis. "Sparks's Life and Works of Dr.Franklin." In

Bloom, Harold, ed. Benjamin Franklin, Classic Critical

Views. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2008. Bloom's

Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.

Davis, Suanna H. "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin."

McClinton-Temple, Jennifer ed. Encyclopedia of Themes in

Literature. New York: Inforbase Publishing, 2011. Bloom's

Literature. Facts on File, Inc. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.

Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin

Franklin.United States of America: Cuneo Press. Print.

McGinley, Michael G., ed. "Jean Jacques Rousseau 1712-1778."

European Writers: The Age of Reason and the Enlightenment.

Vol. 4. Scribner, 2984. 449-474. Print.

Rahn,Josh. "The Enlightenment."-Literature Periods & Movements.

Jalic Inc, 27 Mar. 2013. Web. 12 Oct. 2014.

Nath 14Reill, Peter Hanns, and Ellen Judy

WIlson."Confessions."Encyclopedia of the

Enlightenment,Revised Edition. New York: Facts on Fild,

Inc., 2004. Bloom's Literature. Facts On File,Inc. Web.

Sova, Dawn B. "Censorship History of Confessions" Banned Books:

Literature Suppressed on Sexual Grounds, Third Edition. New

York: Facts on File, Inc., 2011. Bloom's Literature. Facts

on File, Inc. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.

Sova, Dawn B. "Confessions." Banned Books: Literature Suppressed

on Sexual Grounds, Third Edition. New York: Facts on File,

INc., 2011. Bloom's LIterature. Facts on File, Inc. Web. 11

Nov. 2014.

Sova, Dawn B. "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin." Banned

Books: Literature Suppressed on Social Grounds, Third

Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc.,2011. Bloom's

Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.

"The Enlightenment." -Literature Periods & Movements. Jalic

Inc, 27 Mar. 2013. Web. 12 Oct. 2014.

White, Craig. "Terms & Themes." Terms & Themes. Web. 15 Oct.

2014.

Nath 15RESEARCH PAPER 4 3 2 1 - 0F

Purpose / Thesis

The writer's central purpose or argument is readily apparent to the reader.

The writing has a clear purpose or argument, but may sometimes digress from it.

The central purpose or argument is not consistently clear throughout the paper.

The purpose or argument isgenerally unclear.

Content

Keys:RelevanceSignificanceAnalysisInsight

Balanced presentation of relevant and legitimate information that clearly supports a central purpose or argument and shows a thoughtful, in-depth analysis of a significant topic. Clear, fluent analysis follows sourced information. Reader gains important insight.

Information provides reasonable support for a central purpose orargument and displays evidence of a basic analysis of a significanttopic. Clear analysis follows sourced information. Reader gains some insights.

Information supports a central purpose or argument at times. Analysis is basic or general. Reader gains few to no insights.

Central purpose or argument is not clearly identified. Analysis is vague or not evident. Reader is confused or may be misinformed.

OOrganizationKeys:LogicDevelopmentTransitions

The ideas are arranged logically to support the purpose or argument. They flow smoothly from one to another and are clearly linked to each other. The reader can follow the line of reasoning.

The ideas are arranged logically to support the central purpose orargument. They are usually clearly linked to each other. For the most part, the reader can follow the line of reasoning.

In general, the writing isarranged logically, although occasionally ideas fail to make sense together. The reader is fairly clear about what writerintends.

The writing is not logically organized. Frequently, ideas fail to make sense together. The reader cannot identify a line of reasoning and loses interest.

CUse ofReferencesKeys:AuthorityAttribution

Compelling evidence from academically authoritative sources is given to support points. Attribution is clear and fairly represented via signal phrases and citation.

Academically legitimate sources that support claims are generally present and attribution is, for the most part, clear and fairly represented.

Although attributions are occasionally given, many statements seem unsubstantiated.The reader is confused about the source of information and ideas.

References are seldom cited to support statements.

Quality ofReferences

Keys:AuthorityAccuracy

References are primarily peerreviewed professional journals or other approved sources (e.g., government documents, agencymanuals, …). Authority of the sources is clear.

Although most of the references are professionally legitimate, a few are questionable (e.g., trade books, internet sources, popularmagazines, …). The reliability of some sources may be questionable.

Most of the references are from sources that are not peerreviewed and have uncertain reliability. Clear doubt toward the authority or accuracy of much of the material presented.

There are virtually no sources that are professionally reliable.Serious doubt as to the value of the material and stops reading.

U Grammar,Spelling,Mechanics

The writing is free or almost free of errors.

Occasional errors, but they don't represent a major distraction or obscure meaning.

The writing has many errors, that distract and detract from the reading.

There are so many errors that meaning is obscured. Reading confused and stopped.

S

Mood / VoiceKey: Consistency

The writing is compelling. It hooks the reader and sustains interest throughout.

The writing is generally engaging, but has some dry spots. In general, it is focused and keeps the reader's attention.

The writing is dull andunengaging. Though the paper has some interesting parts, the reader finds it difficult to maintain interest.

The writing has littlepersonality. The readerquickly loses interest and stops reading.

ToneKey: Scholarly

The tone is consistentlyscholarly and appropriate for an academic research paper.

The tone is generally scholarly. For the most part, it is appropriatefor an academic research paper

The tone is not consistentlyscholarly or appropriate for an academic research paper

The tone is unscholarly. It is not appropriate for an academic research paper

Sentence Structure

Key: Fluency

Sentences are well-phrased and varied in length and structure. They flow smoothly from one to another. Fluent, clear transition devices are used well.

Sentences are well-phrased and there is some variety in length and structure. The flow from sentence to sentence is generally smooth. Transitions are evident.

Some sentences are awkwardly constructed so that the reader is occasionally distracted.Some transitions are used, though this may be mechanically or perfunctorily so.

Errors in sentence structure are frequent enough to be a major distraction to the reader. Little or no transitions used when needed.

Word ChoiceKeys:

Word choice is consistently precise, concise, and accurate.

Word choice is generally good. The writer often goes beyond the generic word to

Word choice is merely adequate, and the range of words is limited. Some

Many words are usedinappropriately, confusing the reader.

Nath 16Precise, Concise find one more

precise and effectivewords are used inappropriately

MLength

Paper is the number of pages specified in the assignment.

Paper is more than a page over the maximum number required.

Paper is below the minimum number of pages required.

Paper has more or fewer than 2 pages than the specified range.

MLA MLA format is accurate. Minor errors in MLA format. Major or frequent errors in MLA

Not recognizable as MLA.

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100 %

100 Tara, you have succeeded in a compelling and “enlightening” paper. You have clearly

illustrated similarities between these two writers of autobiography, and more importantly,

in doing so, you have shed light on how these two men contributed to the genre that

remains as one of the most popular in the nonfiction realm. I was fascinated by the

details you shared about these interesting men and their approaches to the genre.

Moreover this writing showed your ability to synthesize source material in original and

rewarding ways.