American Dream and Benjamin Franklin 美国梦和富兰克林
BenjaminFranklin
BenjaminFranklinBenjamin Franklin: In His Own WordsIntroduction"Franklin gave us the definitive formation of the American Dream"—J. A. Leo LemayBenjamin Franklin's Autobiography is both an important historical document and Franklin's major literary work. It was not only the first autobiography to achieve widespread popularity, but after two hundred years remains one of the most enduringly popular examples of the genre ever written. As such, it provides not only the story of Franklin’s own remarkably influential career, but maps out a strategy for self-made success in the context of emerging American nationhood. The Autobiography is a major source f or exploring Franklin’s ideas on wealth and virtue as well as his motivations in pursuing a long life of active civic participation. It is also uniquely useful as the story of a successful working printer in eighteenth-century North America, revealing much about the art and business of the printer's trade that is not documented with such coherence elsewhere.Written over the course of several decades and never completed, Franklin's Autobiography is divided into four distinct sections that differ both in tone and in focus—though Franklin always intended the work to stand as a whole. As outlined by editors J. A. Leo Lemay and P. M. Zall, Part One was penned while Franklin was in England in July-August of 1771. This is also when Franklin most likely drew up his outline for the entire work. By the summer of 1782, both documents had been seen by a friend, Abel James, who wrote to Franklin urging him to resume theproject. Franklin drafted Part Two in 1784 while living in France. Part Three, dating from 1788-89, was composed when a Franklin now in his eighties had, after a long and distinguished international career, returned home to settle his affairs. This is also when he added most of his revisions. The shortest section, Part Four, was written when Franklin was in poor health in the last few months of his life.Part One of Franklin's memoir is addressed as a letter to Franklin's son William, perhaps as a literary conceit—and although the two would later become estranged over the events of the American Revolution, Franklin still preserved this aspect of the work. In fact, Revolutionary affairs figure little in the memoir. The four Autobiography sections completed by Franklin in his lifetime examine the earlier and formative periods of his life: his childhood and youth, his apprenticeship and flight to Philadelphia, his accomplishments as a printer and then as a scientist, and his civic involvements as a resident of Pennsylvania. Due to public interest in Franklin's later political accomplishments, most early printed editions of the Autobiography include added text written by others, which rounds out the story of Franklin's years as a national and international diplomat.The Autobiography, known variously as a Life or Memoirs before the 1840s, has an unusual and complicated publication history, with several competing versions of the text in circulation at once. Franklin named his grandson William Temple Franklin as his literary executor, but Temple Franklin was slow to bring an authorized edition of Franklin's memoir to print. Soon after Franklin’s deathin April, 1790, unauthorized extracts appeared in two Philadelphia magazines: Universal Asylum and ColumbianMagazine by Henry Stuber (installments from May 1790 through June 1791) and American Museum by Matthew Carey (July and November, 1790). The first book-length edition appeared in French, produced in Paris in 1791—but this translation was based on an early copy of Franklin's manuscript and included only an unrevised version of Part One. Like the magazine pieces, it also contained biographical material of which Franklin was not the author.A book-length English edition, The Private Life of the Late Benjamin Franklin, was published in London in 1793, a year after it had already appeared in German and Swedish. This English version was, however, a translation back into English from the 1791 French, so that the still-partial twice-translated text differed considerably from Franklin’s intended words. A second English retranslation appeared in London the same year, first in installments in Lady's Magazine, then as part of a two-volume set of Franklin's collected Works. By 1794, American editions printed in New York, Philadelphia and elsewhere, again based on one or another of the retranslated versions, began to circulate. And so it went back and forth across versions, languages, translations and continents for another twenty-four years. A 1798 Vie de Benjamin Franklin, for example, translated into French the English retranslation of the earlier French version of Part One, but also included a directly translated Part Two, which had not yet appeared in English.Although grandson William Temple Franklin's Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Benjamin Franklin of 1818 quickly became the standard version once it was available, it too was flawed. Mistakenly based on another still-incomplete copy of Franklin's manuscript, it did not include Franklin's final revisions of the text,or any of Part Four. Part Four first appeared in Me?m oires sur la Vie de Benjamin Franklin, a Paris edition of 1828, available once again in French translation before it appeared in English. It was not until 1868 and the publication of John Bigelow's Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin—at last based directly on Franklin's final manuscript—that all four parts of the work were at last printed together in their final form, and in English.。
American Dream (正式版)
Late Industrialization
Work values changed dramatically when the assembly line（流水线） production and machine driven atmosphere of industrial America swallowed up skilled workers .
他指出：美国梦是梦想的土地，每个人都 会有更好，更富有和更充实的生活，并且 那些有能力或成就的人总是充满机会。
• American Dream , is a belief that as long as the United States after a hard struggle will be able to achieve the ideal of a better life.
• “Early to Bed, and early to rise, makes a Man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
Benjamin Franklin
诚实和勤勉，应该成为你永久的伴侣
Golden Age
In 1848, James W. Marshall found gold in California and people began having golden dreams. That 19th century “American Dream”
the Colonial Period
• The immigrants arrived in the North America in order to pursuit religious liberty, hunt grounds and personal success.
Benjamin Franklin
一、节制。 食不过饱，饮酒不醉
2. Silence Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
五、俭朴。 用钱必须于人于己有益，换言之，切戒浪费。
6. Industry Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
六、勤勉。 不浪费时间；每时每刻做些有用的事，戒掉一切不必要的行动。 7. Sincerity
A writer as well as a statesman and scientist, Franklin was one of the most prominent figures in the Enlightenment movement. While borrowing from Puritan teachings his famous Thirteen Virtues（十三条人生准则）, he actually deviated from Puritanism by advocating(提倡) both personal happiness and social well-being. His ideal of a material success resulting from honesty and hard work was virtually the American Dream in embryo ( 胚胎).
Franklin earned the title of “The First American” for his early and indefatigable campaigning for colonial unity; as an author and spokesman in London for several colonies, then as the first United States Ambassador to France, he exemplified the emerging American nation. Franklin was foundational in defining the American ethos （民族精神） as a marriage of the practical values of thrift, hard work, education, community spirit （团体精神）, self-governing institutions, and opposition to authoritarianism both political and religious, with the scientific and tolerant values of the Enlightenment.
美国梦 the American dream
definition
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criticism
root
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Political leaders
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history and today
The term “American dream” is used in many ways, but it essentially is an idea that suggests that anyone in the US can succeed through hard work and has the potential to lead a happy, successful life. Many people have expanded upon or refined the definition to include things such as freedom, fulfillment and meaningful relationships. Someone who manages to achieve his or her version of the American dream is often said to be “living the dream.”
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definition
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criticism
Hale Waihona Puke root6Political leaders
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history and today
The idealistic vision of the American dream often disregards discrimination based on a person's race, religion, gender and national origin, which might inhibit his or her ability to achieve specific goals. Critics also point out that many versions of the dream equate prosperity with happiness, and that happiness is possible without wealth or even in poverty. To some people, the American dream might be more about personal fulfillment than about economic success or owning property.
Benjamin Franklin本杰明富兰克林
Franklin’s Contributions to Society
Humanitarian
•American first circulating library •University of Pennsylvania •Philadelphia hospital •Pennsylvania militia
7. Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit; think innocentl y and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly. 诚恳。不欺骗人；思想纯洁公正；说话也应诚实。 8. Justice: Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty. 正直。不做不利他人之事，切勿忘记履行对人有益 的义务而伤害他人。 9. Moderation: Avoid extremes; forbear resenting i njuries, so much as you think they deserve. 中庸。勿走极端；受到应有的处罚，应当加以容忍。
Its Content Its Style Its Significance Comments on it Thirteen Virtues
Content
Four parts written at four different times 1st part: 1771; a letter to his son; about 80 pages; his life before the age of 25 2nd part: 1784; his life between the age of 25 and 42; 3rd part: 1788; his social and scientific life; 4th part: 1790; his life between his retirement and death;
Unit 1 Benjamin Franklin
General features types of writing: diaries, histories, journals, letters,
travel books, autobiographies/biographies, sermons
Content : : serving either God or colonial
expansion or both Form: imitating English literary traditions
★American Puritanism（清g, American Puritanism just refers to the spirit and ideal of puritans who settled in the North American continent in the early part of the seventeenth century because of religious persecutions(迫害）. In content it means scrupulous （小心谨慎） moral rigor（苛刻), especially hostility to social pleasures and indulgences, that is strictness, sternness and austerity（苦行） in conduct and religion.
Benjamin-Franklin人物简介
The prototype of The American Dream
★ He appears on the American 100 dollar bill.
A marble statue of Benjamin
Memorial marble statue
c. The theories of electricity; first applied the terms “positive”and “negative” to electrical charges.
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Success as a statesman政治家
He was the only American to sign the four documents that created the United States:
❖ No regular education
❖ Became an apprentice 学徒 of a printer when he was 12
blished lots of essays when he was 16
❖ Went to Philadelphia when he was 17 to make his own fortune
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Jack of All Trades
A business man
A writer
printer A scientist publisher A statesman 政治家
diplomat
The prototype 原型 of the American dream
philanthropist
[fiˈlænθrəpist] 慈善家
American Dream (正式版)
and gave California its
nickname of theLeabharlann ―Golden State‖.
Early Industrialization
The ubiquitous（普遍存在的） ―rags to riches‖ legend（传奇） became a cornerstone of American society; anyone could succeed and achieve wealth if they worked hard .
–Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
talk show queen in the world
Oprah Winfrey(奥普拉温弗里) is an
American media personality, actress, television producer,literary critic and magazine publisher.She has been ranked the richest African-American in the 20th century,the most philanthropic AfricanAmerican of all
所谓的美国梦（American Dream），是一种相信只要 经过努力不懈的奋斗便能获致更好生活的理想。
Six Basic Beliefs
• • • • • • individual freedom self-reliance equality of opportunity competition material wealth hard work
Alaska
Hawaii
What is “THE AMERICAN DREAM”?
An Analysis of the Disillusion of American Dream in The Great Gatsby
An Analysis of the Disillusion of American Dream inThe Great Gatsby论《了不起的盖茨比》中美国梦的幻灭摘要弗朗西斯•司各特•菲茨杰拉尔德是美国“爵士时代”的代言人, 他在其代表作《了不起的盖茨比》中以细腻的笔触表现了二十世纪二十年代美国的风貌, 用主人公盖茨比的悲剧人生隐喻了“美国梦”的虚幻及其不可企及性，揭示了“美国梦”破灭的必然规律。
文中主人公盖茨比是为追求美国梦而最终牺牲自己的典例，他渴望以自己的信念和勇气来获取物质以及爱情上的收获。
然而他的梦想只是一种虚幻的渴望，而不是建立在现实基础之上的追求，结果导致了他梦想的破灭。
论文从作者和小说人物分析着手，通过对《了不起的盖茨比》的写作背景、作者自身的经历、故事的主要内容、小说主人公盖茨比之梦的破灭等多方面的分析和解剖, 深刻地揭示了“美国梦”的发展与破灭。
关键词:《了不起的盖茨比》；美国梦；破灭；爵士时代AbstractFrancis • Scott Fitzgerald is the spokesman of “the Jazz Age” in the United States. In his masterwork, The Great Gatsby, he uses delicate brushwork to show the style of American society in the 1920s. Hero Gatsby’s tragic life, as a metaphor for the illusion and entertainment of the “American Dream”, reveals the inexorable law of the disillusion of “American dream”.The hero in The Great Gatsby reveals a typical example of those who is eager to pursue the American Dream but finally ended by sacrificing themselves. Though he dreams of achieving material wealth and love through his courage and hard working, all the factors from outside world and his character led to the disillusion of his dream. This profoundly reveals the development and di sillusion of “The American Dream” by dissecting writing background of The Great Gatsby, the author’s own experiences, the main content of the story, novel leading character Gatsby’s shattered dream and other side.Key Words：The Great Gatsby; the American dream; disillusion; Jazz AgeIIContents摘要 (I)Abstract........................................................................................................................错误！未定义书签。
富兰克林和美国梦
Died
Nationality Political party Spouse(s) Children A bust of Franklin by JeanAntoine Houdon
Profession
Signature
Franklin earned the title of "The First American" for his early and indefatigable campaigning the Founding Fathers of the United Benjamin Franklin was one offor colonial unity; as an author and States. A spokesman in London for several colonies, then printer, political theorist, noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, as the first United States Ambassador to France, he exemplified the inventor, American nation. politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, emerging satirist, civic activist, Franklin was foundational a scientist, he was a major figure marriage statesman, and diplomat. Asin defining the American ethos as ain the of the practical values and the hard work, education, community spirit, American Enlightenmentof thrift,history of physics for his discoveries and self-governing institutions, and invented the authoritarianism both theories regarding electricity. He opposition to lightning rod, bifocals, the political and a carriage odometer, and the glass ‘armonica’. He Franklin stove,religious, with the scientific and tolerant values of the Enlightenment. civic words of historian facilitated manyIn the organizations, including a fire department and a university.
American dream1
他指出:“美国梦是‘梦想的土地，每个人都会 有更好,更富有和更充实的生活，并且那些有 能力或成就的人总是充满机会。
It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. 这是一个让欧洲上层阶级无法完全理解的 梦想，甚至我们国家中的大部分人对它感 到厌倦和不信任。
General state of Tony
• He came from a rocky（贫瘠） farm in Italy, somewhere south of Rome • He was about five-foot-seven or eight, and thin. thin.
• He hBiblioteka s a look of confidence
• Is there still an “American Dream”? ---- Robert Kieckhefer
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Who Wants to Be a Millionaire:
Changing Conceptions of the American Dream ------by Matthew Warshauer
美国梦一词最早是由 詹姆斯· 特拉斯洛· 亚当 斯在他1931年的著作 《美国史诗》中的。
He states: "The American Dream is that „dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.
American Dream 完整版
As far as most people are concerned，material success would come into mind firstly when talking aboutdream
In addition,spiritual improvement is also embodied in American dream. In general, American dream facilitates many people to achieve their individual values and makes the USA more prosperous and stronger .
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The origin of the American Dream In December 1620 ,with snow already flying, Mayflower dropped anchor off Cape Cod. Fifty men, twenty women and thirty-four children driven from England finally came to the new land where they could enjoy their religious freedom to the full.
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Westward movement has an important influence on American politics and economy.
.The vast western land had been incorporated into the old world(旧美国), which aided the old world to be a country with abundant natural resources and a vast territory. This laid a solid material foundation for the economic development of the United States.
美国文学分章试题
Exercises for American LiteraturePartⅠⅠ. Multiple choice:1._____ reports of exploration in Jamestown have been described as the first distinctly American literature to be written in English.A. John Smith’sB. Washington Irving’sC. Franklin’sD. Jefferson’s2. Which statement is NOT true about the 17th century American literary life?A. The first writings that we call American were the narratives and journals of the early settlements.B. The writers of the Southern and Middle Colonies who followed John Smithmade their greatest contribution to American literature.C. There were more urban audience for books and newspapers.D. Literature developed slowly especially in the South.3. _____ was the first American writer.A. John SmithB. Benjamin FranklinC. Philip FreneauD. Anne Bradstreet4. John Smith’s _____ (1624) contains his most famous tale of how the Indian Princess Pocahontas saved him from the wrath of her father Powhatan.A. The General History of VirginiaB. The history of New EnglandC. A Map of VirginiaD. The history of Plymouth Plantation5. Hard work, thrift, piety and sobriety were the _____ values that dominated much of the earliest American writing.A. PuritanicB. TranscendentalC. romanticD. realistic6. _____ , the Puritan clergyman who wrote more than 450 works in his life, was an example of the Puritan ideal of hard work.A. John SmithB. Cotton MatherC. Anne BradstreetD. John Cotton7. The Puritans wished to restore simplicity to church services and the authority of _____ to theology.A. the BibleB. the governmentC. the Church of EnglandD. God8. The first major intellectual spokesman of the Massachusetts Bay Colony was _____ , sometimes called “the Patriarch of New England”.A. John CottonB. John SmithC. Philip FreneauD. Cotton Mather9. The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America is the first published collection ofpoems of _____ .A. Edward TaylorB. Anne BradstreetC. Walt WhitmanD. PhilipFreneau10. The first major center of thought in America was _____ .A. BostonB. PhiladelphiaC. Now YorkD. the State of VirginiaⅡ.Complete the following statements:1.At last early in the __________ century, the English settlements in __________and __________ began the main stream of what we recognize as the American national history.2.The earliest settlers in US include __________ , Swedes, __________ , French,__________ , Italians, and __________ .3.The Puritans had come to New England for the sake of __________ , whileVirginia had been planted mainly as a __________ .4.The best way to learn more of the colonial Puritan mind is to meet two importantfigures, __________ and __________ .5.Most Puritan verse was decidedly plodding, but the work of two writers, AnneBradstreet and Edward Taylor, rose to the level of __________ .Ⅲ.Define the literary terms listed below:1. Theocracy2. The Puritan MovementⅣ.Answer the following question:What was the first American literature like?PartⅡⅠ. Multiple choice:1.American Enlightenment can be described as the following except that _____ .A.it dealt a decisive blow to the puritan traditionsB.it brought to life secular education and literatureC.its representatives took the task of disseminating knowledge among thepeopleD.it exerted little influence on the War of Independence2.The following statements are true to Benjamin Franklin except _____ .A. a priestB. a scientistC. a diplomatD. a humanist3.Benjamin Franklin shaped his writing after _____ .A. the Spectator PaperB. French writersC. John MiltonD. Walt Scott4.Poor Richard’s Almanac written by Benjamin Franklin is _____ .A. a novelB. a collection of short storiesC. a collection of poemsD. an annual collection of proverbs5.“His shadow lies heavier than any other man’s on this young nation” refers to_____ .A. Benjamin FranklinB. Thomas JeffersonC. Thomas PaineD. Noah Webster6.Thomas Paine boldly advocated a “Declaration for Independence” in his famouspamphlet _____ .A. Common SenseB. The Case of the Officers of the ExciseC. The American CrisisD. Rights of Man7.Thomas Paine’s chief contribution was a series of sixteen pamphlets entitled_____ .A. Common SenseB. The Case of the Officers of the ExciseC. Rights of ManD. The American Crisis8.Which of the following is true about Thomas Jefferson? _____ .A.He contributed a lot to the foundation of University of Virginia.B.He served for two terms as president.C.He drafted the Declaration of Independence.D.All of the above.9._____ has been called the “Father of American Poetry”.A. Anne BradstreetB. Philip FreneauC. Thomas PaineD. EdwardTaylor10.As a poet and political journalist, Philip Freneau is _____ .A. a satirist and a sentimentalistB. a humanitarianC. a poet of reason and a deistic optimistD. All of the aboveⅡ.Complete the following statements:1.As we have seen, _________ dominated the Puritan phase of American writing,__________ was the next great subject to command the attention of the best minds.2.American __________ dealt a decisive blow upon the Puritan traditions andbrought to life __________ and literature.3.In 1783, the year the United States achieved its independence, __________declared, “America must be as independent in literature as she is in politics, as famous for the arts and for arms”.4.Born in Boston in 1706, Benjamin Franklin went to Philadelphia as a young manand began his career as __________ .5.Philip Freneau was __________ by training and taste yet romantic in essentialspirit.Ⅲ.Define the literary terms listed below:1. the Age of Reason2. the EnlightenmentⅣ.Answer the following question:Why do people think Benjamin Franklin is the embodiment of American dream?Part ⅢⅠ. Multiple choice:1. A new Romanticism, appeared in England in the last years of the 18th century,came to America in _____ .A. the early 19th centuryB. the mid 19th centuryC. the last years of 19th centuryD. the last years of the 18th century2._____ became the first work by an American writer to win financial success onboth sides of the Atlantic.A. Washington Irving’s Sketch Book.B. Washington Irving’s A Tour on thePrairiesC. James Fenimore Cooper’s Leatherstocking TalesD. Henry Thoreau’s Walden3.Which of the following is NOT regarded as one of the general characteristics shared byromantics? _____ .A.Moral enthusiasmB.Faith in the value of individualism and intuitive perceptionC.The practice of a hard and disciplined lifeD.The presumption that man’s soc iety was a source of corruption4.Transcendentalists took some of their ideas from _____ .A. German idealistic philosophyB. the Romantic literatures ofEuropeC. neo-Platonism and Oriental mysticismD. All of the above.5.The first modern short stories and the first great American juvenile literatureappeared in Washington Irving’s _____ .A. The sketch BookB. A History of New YorkC. Tales of a TravelerD. Alhambra6._____ was the first important American novelist who began his literary career ona dare.A. James Fenimore CooperB. Washington IrvingC. Edgar Allan PoeD. Nathaniel Hawthorne7._____ is one of James Fenimore Cooper’s best sea romances.A. The SpyB. The PilotC. The DeerslayerD. The Pioneers8.Cooper launched two kinds of great popular stories, the sea adventure tale and_____ .A. the frontier sagaB. the detective storiesC. the love storiesD. gothicnovels9.Which of the following novels does NOT belong to Leatherstocking Tales?_____ .A. The DeerslayerB. The PathfinderC. The PilotD. The Pioneers10.The last of the Mohicans in The last of the Mohicans refers to _____ .A. UncasB. ChingachgookC. HawkeyeD. Natty Bumppo11.In 1817, _____ written by William Cullen Bryant introduced the best poet inAmerica up to that time.A. “To a Waterfowl”B. “Thanatopsis”C. “The Raven”D. “To Helen”12.Which poem by William Cullen Bryant expressed both the poet’s grateful viewand his sense of a divine power guiding and protecting everything in nature?_____ .A. “To a Waterfowl”B. “Thanatopsis”C. “The Raven”D. “To Helen”13.Edgar Allan Poe deserved the following except _____ .A. a playwrightB. a poet and an editorC. a literary criticD. a writer offiction14.Thy Naiad airs have brought me homeTo the glory that was Greece’And the grandeau that was Rome.The above lines are selected from Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem _____ .A. “The Raven”B. “To Helen”C. “Ligia”D. “Annabel Lee”15.The American Scholar and The Divinity School Address are two speeches thatmade _____ famous.A. Walt WhitmanB. Ralph Waldo EmersonC. Henry David ThoreauD. Herman Melville16.Thoreau once wrote the reason that he went to live in a hut at Walden is that_____ .A.he wanted to live the life of a hermitB.he didn’t want to be arrested for failure to pay the taxesC.he wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of lifeD.he didn’t like the people around him17.The story of The Scarlet Letter is set in _____ in the days of the MassachusettsColony.A. the ancient EuropeB. the 19th century EuropeC. the Puritan BostonD. the 19th century Boston18.Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote all of the following except _____ .A. TypeeB. The House of Seven GablesC. The Marble FaunD. Young Goodman Brown19.When Herman Melville’s Moby Dick first appeared, which of the following isNOT true about what happened to this great work? _____ .A.It seemed to be a complete failure at the time.B.Critics in general also failed to see the qualities of this book.C.Hawthorne was one of the few who recognized it as a work of genius.D.It was a great hit at that time and was welcomed by the readers.20.Which of the following works established Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poeticreputation? _____ .A. Voices of the NightB. Poems on SlaveryC. Song of HiawathaD. Ballads and Other PoemsⅡ.Complete the following statements:1.Through the first half of 19th century the pursuit of _________ , utility, and_________remained an American characteristic.2.__________ values were prominent in American politics, art, and philosophy untilthe Civil War.3.As a moral philosophy, transcendentalism was neither __________ nor_________ .4.Romantic writers placed increasing value on the __________ expression ofemotion and displayed increasing attention to the __________ states of their characters.5.In 1828, __________ published An American Dictionary of the English Language.6.Irving was the first great __________, writing always for __________, and toproduce __________ .7.Longfellow, Lowell, Holmes and Whittier were regarded as the “__________poets”.8.At an early age, Irving preferred a literary __________ .9.Ironically, while Poe was struggling in America, his work was commanding moreand more praise in __________. His influence was especially strong on many __________ writers.10.Emerson believed above all in __________, independence of mind, andself-reliance.11.For Thoreau, as for Emerson, __________ and __________ ranked above all.12.Hawthorne’s unique gift was for the creation of strongly __________ storieswhich touched the deepest roots of man’s moral nature. The finest example is the recreation of Puritan Boston, __________ .13.__________ is a tremendous chronicle of s whaling voyage in pursuit of aseemingly supernatural white whale.14.“Pequod” in Moby Dick is a name of __________ .15.Longfellow’s poetry was popular for his gentleness, sweetness, and __________ .Ⅲ.Define the literary terms listed below:1. Romanticism2. Transcendentalism3. SymbolismⅣ. Comment on one of the following:1.Benjamin Franklin and the American Dream2.Moby Dick3.The Scarlet Letter4.“The Wild Honey Suckle”5.“To a Waterfowl”6.“To Helen”Part ⅣⅠ. Multiple choice:1.The end of _____ marked the beginning of what Mark Twain called The Gilded Age.A. The American War of IndependenceB. World War OneC. World War TwoD. The Civil War2. “A Psalm of Life” is a famous poem written by _____.A. Edgar Allan PoeB. Walt WhitmanC. Henry Wadsworth LongfellowD. Emily Dickinson3. By the 1870s _____ had waned.A. PuritanismB. the New England RenaissanceC. RealismD. Classicism4. By the end of the Civil War, _____ became the nation’s literary center.A. New YorkB. BostonC. JamestownD. Los Angeles5. _____ had originated in France, a literary doctrine that called for reality and truth in the depiction of ordinary life.A. PuritanismB. New England RenaissanceC. RealismD. Classicism6. Local color began to decline _____ .A. after 1920B. by the turn of 19th centuryC. after 1910D. in the 1870s7. The arbiter of 19th century literary realism in America was _____ .A. William Dean HowellsB. Mark TwainC. Bret HarteD. Hamlin Garland8. The poetic style Walt Whitman devised is now called _____, that is, poetry without fixed beat or regular rhyme scheme.A. free verseB. blank verseC. lyricsD. sonnet9. “Song of myself” is a famous poem written by _____ .A. Emily DickinsonB. Walt WhitmanC. Henry Wadsworth LongfellowD. Edgar Allan Poe10. _____ was the first book of Mark Twain.A. Jumping frogB. Innocents AbroadC. Roughing ItD. The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn11. The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn is the masterpiece of _____ .A. Henry JamesB. William Dean HowellsC. Mark TwainD. Nathaniel Hawthorne12. In “The Cop and the Anthem” the main reason for Soapy to deliberately commitone crime after another is that _____ .A. he hates the wealthy peopleB. he just wants to revenge himselfC. winter is coming and Soapy has no refuge except the prisonD. he just does that for no reasons13. The Gift of the Magi is one of the best stories by _____ .A. O. HenryB. Mark TwainC. Harriet Beecher StoweD. Jack London14. Jack wrote the following except _____ .A. The Four MillionB. The People of the AbyssC. The Iron HeelD. The Call of the wild15. Which of the following novels is written by Jack London? _____ .A. The Portrait of a LadyB. The wings of the DoveC. The Scarlet LetterD. The Sea Wolf16. Theodore Dreiser’s masterpiece of Naturalism is _____ .A. An American TragedyB. The FinancierC. The TitanD. The StoicⅡ.Complete the following statements:1. Realism first appeared in the United States in the literature of ________ .2. James probed deeply at the individual ________ of his characters.American naturalist writers attempted to achieve extreme ________ and frankness.3. The naturalists emphasized that the world was ________ .4. Darwinism seemed to stress the ________ of man, to suggest that he was dominated by the irresistible forces of evolution.5. Most of the poems in Leaves of Grass are about man and ________ .6. Many of Dickinson’s poems were based on single ________ or symbols.7. O. Henry imitated ________ as a model.8. Jack London was influenced by the teaching of Marx, Nietzsche and ________ .1.Dreiser’s ________ consists of The Financier, The Titan and The Stoic.2.Dreiser’s greatest and most successful novel was ________ .Ⅲ.Define the literary terms listed below:1. The Gilded Age2. International Theme3. Realism4. NaturalismⅣ.Answer the following question:1. What is the theme of The Leaves of Grass ?2. What are the major differences between Mark Twain and Henry James as major writers in the school of realism?Part ⅤⅠ. Multiple choice:1. Writer of the first postwar era self=consciously acknowledged that they were _____ .A. a Lost GenerationB. a Beat GenerationC. a Jazz GenerationD. None of the above2. During the 1920s William Faulkner published one of the influential Americannovels of the age, _____ .A. The Sound and the FuryB. An American TragedyC. Winesburg, OhioD. The Waste Land3. After _____ a group of new American dramatists emerged, and the Americantheater ceased to be dependent on the dramatic traditions of Europe.A. the War of IndependenceB. the Civil WarC. World WarⅠD. World WarⅡ4. _____ came as a burst of literary achievement in the 1920s by Negro playwrights,poets and novelists who prepared the way for the emergence of numerous black writers after mid-century.A. The Lost GenerationB. The Beat GenerationC. The Harlem RenaissanceD. The New American Theater5. “The apparition of these faces in the crowd;Petals on a wet, black bough.”These lines were written by _____ .A. Ezra PoundB. T. S. EliotC. Robert FrostD. Carl Sandberg6. Edwin Arlington Robinson was honored with the Pulitzer Prize for _____ .A. three timesB. twiceC. onceD. four times7. The central image of Frost’s “Design” is _____ .A. a flyB. a mothC. a spiderD. a bird8. Which of the following statements is NOT true about the writing atyle of CarlSandburg ? _____ .A. He avoided regular stanza pattern and traditional blank verseB. He wrote an utterly free verseC. He developed Whitman’s long line but moderated its rhetorical impact andintensityD. His poems are often difficult to understand and rich in allusions9. T. S. Eliot won the Nobel Prize for literature in _____ .A. 1948B. 1949C. 1950D. 195110. T. S. Eliot deserves the following titles except _____ .A. a great poetB. a dramatistC. a literary criticD. a great novelist11. In 1954 _____ was awarded a Nobel Prize for his mastery of the art of modernnarration.A. John SteinbeckB. William FaulknerC. Ernest HemingwayD. T. S. Eliot12. The central theme of Faulkner’s works focuses on _____ .A. the county of YoknapatawphaB. the universal theme of the problems of the human heart in conflict with itselfC. the AmericansD. Oxford13. _____ received the 1950 Nobel Prize for literature.A. William FaulknerB. Ernest HemingwayC. John SteinbeckD. T. S.Eliot14. “A Rose for Emily” is a famous short story written by _____ .A. William FaulknerB. Ernest HemingwayC. John SteinbeckD. Sherwood Anderson15. Which of the following works of Hemingway is NOT about the war? _____ .A. Death in the AfternoonB. A Farewell to ArmsC. The Sun Also RisesD. For Whom the Bell TollsⅡ.Complete the following statements:1. ________ stands as a great dividing line between the 19th century andcontemporary America.2. The Lost Generation writers were devoid of faith and ________ from acivilization.3. In the 1920s the most prominent American playwright was ________ .4. In “A Pact”, the poet makes a pack with ________ .5. Robinson was interested in the ________ legends.6. The later works of Stevens became increasingly meditative and ________ .7. The first of Four Quartets by T. S. Eliot is ________ .8. The Waste Land introduces a poetic form---- the ________ of related themes insuccessive movement.9. In his best novels, Fitzgerald had revealed the stridency of an age of glittering______.10. ________ was the spokesman for the “Lost Generation”.11. For Whom the Bell Tolls was set in Spain during the ________ .12. A farewell to Arms portrayed a farewell both to war and ________ .13. In 1954, Hemingway was awarded the Nobel Prize for his “mastery of the art ofmodern ________”.14. John Steinbeck was the foremost novelist of the American ________ in the1930s.15. Faulkner’s Snopse Trilogy consists of ________ , The Town and The MansionⅢ.Define the literary terms listed below:1.Avant-garde2. The Lost Generation3. The New American Theater4. Stream of ConsciousnessⅣ.Answer the following question:1. Discuss the thematic concerns of A Farewell to Arms.2. Discuss the themes of William Faulkner.。
BenjaminFranklin 2013
Modeled
on farmers’ annual calendar; Kept publishing for many years; have a great influence in France.
Excerpts / ˏeksɜːpt/ from Poor Richard’s Almanac
7.
Sincerity [sinˏseriti] . Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly（相 应地）. 诚恳。不欺骗人；思想纯洁公正；说 话也应诚实。
: 2. Autobiography
Franklin
wrote this book when he was 65 years old.
It’s
a record of his rising to wealth and fame from a state of poverty and obscurity.
Death
Franklin died on April 17, 1790, at age 84.
Approximately 20,000 people attended his funeral.
The grave of Benjamin Franklin Philadelphia, Pennyslvania
(later the Saturday Evening Post 《周六晚报》)
Philadelphia Gazette《费城公报》 General Magazine《大众杂志》---- the first
英语硕士学位论文从《了不起的盖茨比》中看美国梦的破灭.doc
浙江大学硕士学位论文从ltlt了不起的盖茨比gtgt中看美国梦的破灭The Collapse of The American Dream Represented in The GreatGatsby姓名：赵婉清申请学位级别：硕士专业：英语语言文学指导教师：殷企平谭惠娟20041201 TheCollapseoftheAmericanDreamRepresented intheGreatGatsby Abstract AmericanDreamex istedineveryAmerican’sheartbutitwasintangible.American people were proud of their American dreams and Americanmysteries fromone generation to another generationtherefore therewere alarge number of works in American literature’s history describing AmericanDream. F. Scott. Fitzgerald is famous American writer of The Lost Generationwho is also the spokesman of “Jazz Age’’. His masterpiece The Great Gatsbyfully revealed the realization and the collapse of American Dream in1920s.ThereareseveralreasonstoexplainthecollapseofAmericanDream:withtheunprecedent ed economical prosperity after WWI influencedby the AmericanDreamnumerouspeopleswarmedintotheurbanarea.Thevariousstagesofsocietyare runningformoneyandachievingtheirpurposesbydifferentwaysmany American people stuck into confused helpless idle confused mentalstate. The over fanatics of materialism was vibrating the root of traditionalconceptofAmericanDreamThereforethepursuitofultra‐highenjoymentofthe material corruption of individual moral and social reasons such as WorldWarIthrowingtheyoungmenintoanageofalienationdissentienteconomicbloomaffecti ngthepromisingmenandcorruptionofsocialmoraleventuallyled to Gatsby’s dreams and the sacred American Dream in every Americanheartshattered. This paper would briefly analyze the development American dream onthis basis people would perceive the theme of the American dream in themajor works of Fitzgerald moreover it also would analyze the rootwhichcausestheAmericandreamshattered.Keywords:AmericanDreamGayGatsbycollapser oot AcknowledgementsThecompletionofthisthesisisduetothecontributionandeffortsofseveralp eopletowhomIoweagreatdealofgratitudeandappreciation．Firstofall，1wouldliketoexpressmyheartfeltthankstoProfessorYinQipingandProfessorTanHuijuan，whohavebeengivingmeinvaluableinstructionandencouragementthroughoutthewholeproces s．Theysqueezedtimeoutofpressingschedulestoprovidemewithenlighteningsuggestionsan dtimelyhelpwithgreatpatience．Withouttheirguidanceandsupport，itscompletionwouldbeimpossible．IshouldalsoexpressmysinceregratitudetoProfessorZhu Jiongqiang，ProfessorGaoFen，ProfessorWangLiyun，ProfessorChenGang，forthevariousinsightfullecturesandconstructiveinstructionstheyhavegivenme．IRITIespec iallygratefultomycolleaguesatZhejiangNormalUniversityWangWeixin，LiHuihuaandZhengLianzhong，fortheirvaluablesuggestionsandpainstakingcorrectionsonmyoutlineanddraft．Ialsowishtot hankXuQiuhongandHuangWeizhengwhohavesearchedand copiedimportantreferencematerialsfromBeijingand Shanghairespectively．4 TheCollapseoftheAmericanDreamRepresented inTheGreatGatsby OutlineThesisStatement:JayGatsbywasahighlysymbolismofthemostAmericanson1920swhonotonlywastryinghisbesttorealizetheir American Dreams but also experienced the collapse of the Dream in an era of unprecedented economic prosperityandmaterialexcess.I. IntroductionII. DefinitionofAmericanDreamsIII. RealizationandCollapseofGatsby’sAmericanDreamsinhisWhole Life A.TheDreamofBecomingaUsefulManinChildhood B. TheDreamofBecomingarichandUpper ‐classPersoninYouth C. TheDreamofLovingaCharmingGirlIV. OriginsofCollapseofAmericanDream A. IndividualReasons‐CorruptionofIndividualMoral B. SocialReasons 1. World War I Throwing the Young Men into an Age of AlienationandDissentient 2. EconomicBloomAffectingthePromisingMen 3. CorruptionofSocialMoral V. Conclusion 5 TheCollapseoftheAmericanDreamRepresented inTheGreatGatsbyI.Introduction F. Scott. Fitzgerald is famous American writer of The Lost Generationwhoisalsothespokesmanof“JazzAge’’.HismasterpieceTheGreatGatsbyfully revealed the realization and the collapse of American Dreamin1920s.thehistoryofAmericandreamcouldbedatedbackto17thcentury.Atthattimeeveryone believedthatifheworkedbyhisowncouragevigorandefforthewouldsucceednomatterwhohew as.TheherointhenovelofTheGreat Gatsby whose name was Gatsby experienced the realization andcollapse of his three dreams‐the dream of becoming a useful man inchildhood the dream of becoming a rich and upper class person and thedreamoflovingacharminggirl.ThefailureofGatsby’sdreamwasnotcausedbysinglefactor. OnGatsby’ssidehispursuitofultra‐highenjoymentofthematerial led to the collapse of his dreams however some factors in thesociety such as degrading morality excessive material and overemphasizedopportunist influenced him and eventually caused the collapse of hisAmericandreams.II.DefinitionofAmericanDreams Generally speaking American dream was in the bud when Columbusdiscovered the new continent of America. When Nick the narrator in thenovelreferredhistwolivingplaces‐WestEggvillageandEastEggvillagehemade a metaphor: “they are not perfect ovals‐like an egg in the Colu mbusstory they are both crushed flat at the contact end”1 In this sentence thewriterreferredColumbuswhowasasymbolismasthegreatestandthelastdream of human being was beginning to develop when he first stepped onthispromisingland. In17th century Western Europe was undergoing great changes. Thepuritan migrants passed across the Atlantic Ocean and finally reachedMaryland by May Flower. At that time American dream began to sprout.What impressed the world is the freedom that America could grantforeveryone.Thenewcontinentwasapromisinglandandifsomeoneworkedbyhisownbeliefco uragedeterminationandmoralrighteousnesshecouldachievegreatsuccess.Nomatterwhomyo uareandwhereveryouwerebornyou only need to devote yourself to hard working you will find the life’sbounty. The Ameri can dream promised the deepest and richest selffulfillment for those who would make the nature abilities. American dreamalso tellspeoplethat they shouldn’t give up easily and do your best. IntheAmerican history Benjamin Franklin was the fist one to embody theAmerican Dream in his work his works as the autobiography and PoorRichardsAlmanacadvocatedtheindividualdiligentandgavesomeadvicetoAmerican people to realize their American Dream. Another example wasAbraham Lincoln who was regarded as the greatest president inAmericanhistory.AbrahamLincolnwasborninKentuckyinahousewithonlyoneroom.Hisfami lywasoneofthepoorestfamiliesinthearea.Hehadworkedallhislife.WhenhewasayoungmanLi ncolnmadeextraordinaryeffortstoattainknowledge while working on a farm splitting rails for fences and keepingstoreatNewSalemIllinois.HewasacaptainintheBlackHawkWar spenteightyearsintheIllinoislegislatureandrodethecircuitofcourtsformanyyears. After somany years’ hard work he became the president of US andmade his American dream come true. This is the original meaning ofAmericanDream. HoweverasifAmericanDreambetweengoldenpastandgoldenfuturealways suffered from the realistic betrayal and crush—the realistic worldappearing in front of people was bleakness and dejection. With the 2development of the society and blooming economy American Dreamgradually faded its own color and excessive material and overemphasizedopportunist occupied the heart of the American people and thesedegeneratedthoughtsbegantoerodetheAmericanDream.Ⅲ.RealizationandCollapseofGatsbysAmericanDreamsinHisWholeLife GayGatsbywhowasaveryrichmanlivedinalavishmansion.EverySaturdaynighthewouldhold greatpartyinhishouse.AyoungmannamedNickCarawayrentingahouseintheWestEgginvolve dhimselfinthelifeofGatsbywhotoldNickthathefellinlovewithNickscousinDaisybeforetheW WI. Because he was very poor atthattime Daisy married Tom Buchananwho is a rich and arrogant man. However he was still in love with her. HepersuadedNicktobringhimandDaisytogetheragain.WiththehelpofNickhewasrekindlingt herelationshipwithDaisyandhetriedtoconvinceDaisytoleaveher husband Tom who in turnrevealedthat Gatsby has madehismoneybybootlegging.WhenDaisyhesitatedtochoosebetweenGatsbyandTom she was driving Gatsbys car unintentionally hitting and killing Tomsmistress Myrtle Wilson. Gatsby kept this secret to protect Daisy. Tom toldMyrtles husband Wilson that it was Gatsby who killed his wife. WilsonmurderedGatsbyandthencommittedsuicide.AtlastNickwastheonlyonewholefttoarra ngeGatsbysfuneral. Nick considered Gatsby as a great and magic person as he had everrealizedhisdreamsinhislife.Gatsbydiedintheageof32butinhisshortlifejourneyhehadexp eriencedtherealizationandcollapseofhisthreedreams.A.TheDreamofBecomingaUsefulMan inChildhood Gatsby was born in a poor family of centre‐western region. In thefuneralN ickencounteredGatsby’sfatherHenryC.Gatzwhowasproudof 3his son and saved a picture of his house. He also told Nick aboutGatsby’searlylifeshowinghimabookinwhichyoungGatsbyhadwrittenaschedulefor self‐improvement: “Rise from be 6.00 A.M Dumbbell exercise anda ll‐scaling 6.15‐6.30A.M Study electricity…..7.15‐8.15A .MWork8.30‐4.30P.MBaseballandsports4.30‐5.00P.M.Practiceelocutionpoiseandhow to attain it 5.00‐6.00P.M Study needed inventions7.00‐9.00P.M.” 2 Above‐mentioned show that on the last fly‐leaf of Hopolong CassidyGatsbywasrecordedhisdecisionandapieceofstricttimetableforworking.As everyone knows many famous people depended on the struggle bythemselvesandgotasuccessatlastandtheirstorieswhichmadeeveryonebelieve that each youth could become a useful and wealthy person in thefuture. If one person was loyal to their family and friends patient andindependent he would have the same opportunity as other persons to doanythingthatistosayitispossibleforhimcomingfromthepoorfamilytobecomearichandnobl epersonsoGatsbywasoneofthebelieversofit.Thedream was so magic with endless infinite power that encouragedGatsbystruggleforitbyhisalleffort.ItmadeanimplicationthatGatsbywouldmakea fortune rely on personal virtues diligence and frugality. In hischildhoodGatsbyusedtoabidebyFran klin’steachingandfollowhisowndreamatthebackgroun dof20‐centurysocietyinU.S.OversomanyyearsGatsbyalwayspersisted in it and observed it. In brief in Gatsby early age he presentedapositiveattitudetowardhislife.Ifhewasnotinfluencedbythesocietywhichwas immoral in 20th century he would realize his American dream andbecomeapromisingperson.B.TheDreamofBecomingaRichandUpper‐classPersoninYouth Even if his dream originated from American dream the essence ofGatsby’sdreamistheessenceofAmericandream.WithhisgrowingGatsby’sAmericanDrea m wentby an evolution whenhewas young. Hedreamed ofmaking a good fortune transcending common people and getting rid ofpoornessasmuchastheheroesdescribedbyBenFranklin. Hewasbornona4NorthDakotafarmwhowasnamedJamesGatsbyandheenteredcollegeatSt. Olaf in Minnesota. He dropped out after two weeks for he loathed thehard and laborious work In the age of seventeen he met Dan Cody whowas a pirate in the Superior Lake. And then he changed his name as GayGatsby and became an assistant of Dan Cody. Traveling with Cody to theBarbaryCoastandWestIndiesGatsbyfellinlovewithmoneyandluxury. Hishumiliationathavingtoworkasajanitoratthecollegecontrastedwiththepromisehemetwith DanCodywhorepresentedtheachievementsof everything that Gatsby wants. As Gatsby was aware of his poverty theyoung Gatsby developed a powerful obsession with amazing wealth andstatus. He changed his name which symbolized his desire to jettison hislower ‐class identity and recast himself as the wealthy man he imaged. Hebelieved that he could discard his past and his background completely；howeveritwasimpossible.Hislargefortunehadnotbeenobtainedhonestly.Gatsbydidbusiness withWolfsheim—agambler.Gatsbymadelotsofmoneyalso from distributing illegal alcohol and trading in stolen securities. Aftergetting money Gatsby got luxurious possessions. “He saw me looking withadmirationathiscarRollsRoyce…itwasrichcreamcolorbrightwithnickelswollenhereand thereinitsmonstrouslength…”3Fromthattimehebegantogetridofthehisearlyagedreamwhilet heAmericandreamhadbecomecollapsed. On his way to obtain wealthy he gradually lost his innocent anddiligent characters and sake everything onhisdreams notrealizingthathisdreams are unworthy of him. However he became fabulously wealthy andrealizedhismoneydream.C.TheDreamofLovingaCharmingGirl Though Gatsby always wanted to be rich his main motivation inacquiringhisfortunewashisloveforDaisyBuchananwhomhemetwhenhewas a young military officer in Louisville before leaving to fight inWWII.GatsbyimmediatelyfellinlovewithDaisyforherluxuryelegancyandcharm.HeliedtoDa isyabouthisbackgroundinordertoconvinceherthatafterwar5shewouldmarrywithhim.BecauseofhisliesDaisypromisedtowaitforhimwhen he was left for the war. But she married Tom Buchanan in 1919.However Gatsby still loved with her in Gatsby’s mind the only way shouldGatsbywinbackdaisyistogetalotofmoneybutitwasverydifficultforanormal soldier to earn. In order to win Daisy Gatsby dared to have illegaltrade of alcohol to make a fortune because he clearly knew that he mustofferDaisyabetterlifewhichwasluxuriantifhewantedtowinDaisy. InsomedegreeGatsby’slovetoDaisyreflectedhismemoryofthepast.Four years before he met her and then loved her. During the long timeGatsby remembered that Daisy wasfantastically like a miracle story in hismind an unforgettable event with wonderful experiences and afairymeadowinamysteriousVail.TogetbacktheloveofDaisyheneededmakealargeamountof moneyandraisehisownstatueandhealsomadehimselfnoble and elegant‐‐‐he studied in Oxford University. After doing whatmentioned before he made him become a famous people He had heldparties every weekend at his mansion. The party is almost unbelievablyluxurious he made friends who are famous. When Daisy went to his partyandexclaimedshenevermetsomanycelebrities Situated at the end of Daisy’s east egg dock an d barely visible fromGatsby’s west egg lawn the green light symbolized Gatsby’s hopesanddreamsforthefuture.ThegreenlightmeantthatGatsbyhadassociatedhisAmericandreamwi thhisformalloverDaisy. Nevertheless after five years when Gatsby met Daisy again themiracleDaisyhadlostheroriginalglory.ShelivedintheeasteggdistrictofLong Land. She had become superficial and cynical with unbelievablebehaviorinordertomaskherpainathishusband’sunmorally.Daisywasnotasperfe ctasGatsbyalwaysimaginingandinhismindDaisywasagoddess.HoweverinrealityDaisywasj ustGatsby’sidealpersonificationthatwasonlyabadlyworldlybeautywithagoodappearancean demptysoul.Shewastherepresentativeofmoneyworshipers.MaybeshelovedGatsbyoncebuth er6lovewasnotrealnotpersistentshewantedherlifeshapedimmediatelyandthedecisionmustbem adenotbythepoweroflovebutthepowerofmoneythat was the most real in her world. So naturally after he met Gatsby shewouldliketoloveGatsbyagainbecauseatthistimeGatsbywaswealthyandfamous. In such a situation she w.。
Benjamin Franklin and his American Dream~富兰克林和他的美国梦
Benjamin Franklin and his American Dream
Contens
Brief introduction of Benjamin Franklin
Definitions of American Dream
Benjamin Franklin and his American dream
• Benjamin Franklin pioneered the spirit of selfhelp in America. With less than three years of formal schooling, he taught himself almost everything he knew. He took the initiative of learning French, German, Italian, Latin, and Spanish. He taught himself how to play the guitar, violin, and harp. He made himself an influential author and editor. He started a successful printing business, newspaper, and magazine. He developed a network of printing partnerships throughout the American colonies.
从富兰克林自传看美国梦
The First American--Influence from Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography and “Thirteen Virtues” on the Forming of American DreamIntroductionBorn in 1706, Benjamin Franklin was brought up in a poor and obscure family, as he says in his Autobiography.His father is a candle—maker, his mother is a pious Calvinist. When he was 16 years old, he began to serve as an apprentice to his older half-brother, a printer. It was also in that year when Ben tried to publish his essays under his pseudonym, Silence Dogood. At 17, Ben ran to Philadelphia to make his own fortune. His entrance into this city marked the beginning of a long story of success or American Dream. In 1730, at the age of 24, Franklin acknowledged that he has an illegitimate son named William, despite that his mother’s identity is still unknown. The famous Autobiography is written to William as it began: My dear son. Franklin was also known as a prodigious inventor, one of his abundant inventions, the most famous one is electricity. Besides, he helped to found the Pennsylvania hospital, an academy which led to the University of Pennsylvania, and the American Philosophical Society. Among those things which he started and for which he was still remembered today were volunteer fire departments, effective street lighting, the Franklin stove, bifocal glasses, and efficient heating devices.The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin was probably the first autobiography in American literature. After its publication, millions kinds of similar works were imitated day and night. Autobiography generally recorded a man who grew from an unknown boy to a man of wealth and prosperity. It was written in the form of letter and divided into four parts, completed at different times. Franklin was 65 years old when he began to write it, but he died before he could finished the whole book, which was a great pity for readers who were fascinated with his works. In Autobiography, Franklin asked the question of how a man should live his life, and he offered the bestanswer he could do by himself, which provided the mould of American life and influenced American spirit in a long period.In Autobiography, the most famous part is the Thirteen Virtues of Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanness, Tranquility, Chastity, and Humility. Franklin is not a man who gave up something which is difficult to achieve. He is a man who made his dream become reality once he made up his mind to do it. For example, he recorded how he achieved the thirteen virtues step by step.I made a little book, in which I allotted a page for each of thevirtues. I ruled each page with red ink, so as to have sevencolumns, one for each day of the week, marking the beginning ofeach line with a letter for the day. I crossed these columns with13 red lines, marking the beginning of each line with the firstletter of one of the virtues, on which line , and in its propercolumn I might mark, by a little black spot, every fault I foundupon examination to have committed respecting that virtue uponthat day.(常耀信，1996:126)All these illustrated how Franklin tries to restrain himself and realize his dream in his time. How he becomes a great man in American history and how he influences the forming of American Dream in the following time.Chapter One Franklin and the “Thirteen Virtues”in His AutobiographyBenjamin Franklin’s Autobiography and the “Thirteen Virtues” in ItIn a day and age when few men are thinking about their own or anyone else’s character development, thoughtful men must look to the past to gain inspiration. Benjamin Franklin, one of the American Revolution’s most notable figures is such an inspiration. He was a Founding Father of the United States, a polymath, author, printer, inventor, postmaster, Rosicrucian and Freemason. He invented the lightening rod, bifocal lenses, the Franklin stove, the carriage odometer, the glass harmonica. He founded the first lending library and the first Fire Department in Pennsylvania.The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is a record of self- examination and self-improvement. When we read the Autobiography，we can see an old man who was sitting there and told us an old story about his own life and his experience of his past life. He told us how to perfect ourselves by reading, working and learning. He taught us with pen in hand, drawing out the form of how he combated with his evil shortcomings step by step, day by day, how he succeed at last. According to his own story, he seemed to tell us that nothing is impossible; we can become somebody sooner or later once we do it. Franklin believed that everyone could communicate with god, which is also part of his religious belief. The Autobiography was Franklin’s life long work that he dedicated to expressing his every thought and belief. Arriving in New England at about 1682, Benjamin Franklin’s father, Josiah, found that English Conventicler were often disturbed by English laws and that they “induced some considerable Men of his Acquaintance to remove to that Country, and he was prevailed with to accompany them thither, where they expected to enjoy their Mode of Religion with Freedom” (Bastain,Peter,2005:83). The Autobiography is therefore Franklin’s embodiment of expression that had his family remained in England would have been impossible to achieve. What makes Franklin’s mo de of expression unique is that it draws exclusively on the self and allows the self to develop into a cohesive whole without the government imposing on it. Living in a land like America where its citizens could express themselves freely, writers like Franklin were able to establish a mode of expression that everyone could accurately represent themselves freely. Itcould then be argued that the first step in attaining the American dream was to reject Old World Values and adopt New World ones in place.Franklin sought to cultivate his character by a plan of thirteen virtues, which he developed at age 20 (in 1726) and continued to practice in some form for the rest of his life. His autobiography lists his thirteen virtues as:Temperance:“Eat not to dullne ss; drink not to elevation”；Silence:“Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation”；Order:“Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have i ts time”; Resolution: “Resolve to perform what you ought; perfor m without fail what you resolve”; Frugality:“Make no expense but to do good to others o r yourself; ., waste nothing”; Industry:“Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions”; Sincerity: “Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly”; Justice: “Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty”; Moderation:“Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve”; Cleanliness:“Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation”; Tranquility: “Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable”; Chastity:“Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation”;Humility: “Imitate Jesus and Socrates.”(常耀信，1991: 124)Franklin did not try to work on them all at once. Instead, he would work on one and only one each week“leaving all others to their ordinary chance”. While Franklin did not live completely by his virtues and by his own admission, he fell short of them many times, he believed the attempt made him a better man contributing greatly to his success and happiness, which is why in his autobiography, he devoted more pages to this plan than to any other single point; in his autobiography Franklin wrote, “I hope, therefore, that some of my descendants may follow the example and reap the benefit.”(常耀信，1991:123-127)The Deep Meaning of the “Thirteen Virtues”Ben believed that man is basically good and free by nature; everyone owns unalienable right to pursue happiness and liberty. One of the 13 virtues he listed for himself is “order”, which is also one of the principle of the Age of Reason and the slogan of 18th century, just as Alexander Pope advocated in his contemporary that heroic couplet is the rigid form of his school. Then there comes “moderation”:“avoid extremes,” Franklin told himself and his fellowmen. As is known all, moderation and temperance were among the best virtues of men in that time. All of the 13 virtues are an impressive record of a man trying to be value to mankind: Franklin spent his whole life doing all kinds of things for the welfare of the world, as indeed we mentioned a little earlier. Creating as it does the image of a boy’s rise from rags to riches, the book demonstrates Franklin’s confident belief that the new world of America is a land of opportunities which might be met through hard work and with management, thus telling a story of self-reliance. “Industry” referred in the13 virtues best illustrated it in detail. Franklin was supremely human. He knew humanity’s foibles and deficiencies, but he was convinced that man is good and capable of becoming better, and that, although man and institutions are often corrupt, they might be improved. Had this belief failed to triumph over the doctrine of people like Jonathan Edwards, the American Revolution would be impossible.Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography is a strict stance against old world values. The main old view value stated that “the Christian Church must deliver the laws which she hath received from her King, not dare make laws” (Abbott, H. Porter, 2002:45). A key eighteenth century figure like Benjamin Franklin valued higher law values because allowing the government to interpret biblical passages the King could always place his own slant to make it seem that God ordained his leadership. Higher law practices instead advanced that God’s p ower was absolute and that no earthly being could rule the world. Franklin followed the New World belief because he lived his life with temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice,moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity, and humility. Moreover, Franklin stressed how he “determined to give a Week’s strict Attention to each of the Virtues successively” (Campbell, James，1999:58).Franklin’s schedule followed the New World’s tenants because he felt that church attendance was not mandatory to live life the way God ordained. Furthermore, Franklin’s virtues rejected English kings who would praise God’s word as their own and indulge in wealth while many citizens suffered from poverty. By placing the words “Week”, “Attention”, and “Virtues” in upper-case, Franklin stressed that his Virtues must be followed rigorously. Franklin spent an entire week on every Virtue and would move on to the next one only once he would not sway from the week’s Virtue in any way. Swaying from th e week’s Virtue meant that Franklin would have to start the entire cycle over again. Perfecting the entire cycle is what made him the astute and hard working individual who accomplished tremendous feats and discovered significant technical innovations such as electricity that we still used today. Benjamin Franklin believed that every American must perfect each virtue in order to attain the America dream and make America into a great world power.Chapter 2 The Influence of Autobiography and “Thirteen Virt ues” on the Forming of American DreamFranklin set an example for self-made man by constant study and ceaseless pruning for a perfect character he improved himself from a poor boy with 2 years education to one of the greatest and most influential man in the world with multiple identities as a businessman writer statesman scientist diplomat philosopher patriot and man of the work. He embodies and personifies the American dream. The autobiography is an inspiring account of a poor boys rise to wealth and fame and the fulfillment of the American dream. Franklin proved how little necessary all origin is to happiness, virtue or greatness and that with determination and dedication success is within anyone’s grasp. What’s more, Franklin put strong emphasis on morality and personalvalues, just as the “humility” “sincerity”and “moderation”he referred in the 13 virtues. It is he who made a perfect definition of the American dream linking morality and personal values with material success and who set a good example for people of both his time and subsequent generation. He also made contribution to all sects that were to be erected. At the heart of Franklin’s work was an unshakable pragmatism a concern with the means by which humans can improve themselves and their environments. In his invention of the Franklin stove the maxims of Poor Richard his establishment of the Junto and a circulating library and his bold and arduous Project of arriving at moral Perfection we can see a commitment to human progress through human initiative. For instance Franklin had infinite hope for the potential of science to improve human life. For centuries he has widespread and profound influence over people around the world and inspired millions of people holding dreams for success within. There is an ocean of benefits to study his work so that we can receive more lights from him to pursue our own dreams.Franklin is one of the founders of America; he practiced American Dream throughout his whole life and noted them down in his Autobiography. He even wrote such kind of dream into American Constitution and The Independence of America, which influenced the whole nation for hundreds of years. American believed that everyone could become a millionaire or a successful man once he devoted his effort and energy to his work with self- discipline and self- restraint, despite of his social status, property, family background and education background. In certain degree, Franklin is a typical example of the result of American Dream. He was born into a poor family, and made living when he was still a little boy. He never gave up no matter what kind of hardships were waiting for him. Finally, he became somebody from nobody, from rags to riches. Therefore, his Autobiography can also be regarded as a diary of a man teaching us how to stand on the top of the society, how he keeps “length of days in his right hand, and in his left hand riches and honor.” and how he makes his way become “ways of pleasantness and all his paths are peace.”（Bastain, Peter，2005:85）Generally speaking, Franklin performed American Dream with his whole life.Eighteenth century America was driven primarily by an awareness of expansion. The modern reader may have some difficulty grasping how Colonial Americans defined the America dream as be ing one of endless possibility. Franklin’s classification of the American dream implied an ideal that everyone had the chance to achieve the Jeffersonian ideal of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. For Franklin, the American dream was possible for anyone who had the willingness to work hard and honestly. In Franklin’s estimation, anyone who would abide by this maxim would either achieve success or be emulated for their effort. Even those who did not achieve their goal would still have made a contribution to their nation because they followed the understanding that hard labor and honesty are qualities that everyone must strive for.Benjamin Franklin has traditionally been defined as a self-made man and rugged American individualist. The Autobiography is structured primarily around several errata that Franklin learned from throughout his life. American dream was to constantly correct one’s errors until these errors were eradicated into good personal qualities or at least to have learned never to commit them again What Franklin intended in his Autobiography was to explain to his readership how he understood his errors and how and why to correct them. Writing therefore became Franklin’s manner of explaining his wrongs and explicitly stating that he will never commit that particular wrong again. Franklin’s mode of conveying his sage was an effective one given that the reader is drawn into the narrative by Franklin’s assertive tone and will likely not commit the same errors.ConclusionAll in all, Franklin is not only a person who made great contribution to American physical life, but also played a decisive role in forming the spirit of America. He taught American people how to pursue their own happiness, how to overcome hardships in front of danger, how to restrain themselves with Puritan disciplines. Franklin performed American dream within his whole life. He is the first Americanwho was good at everything and devoted his whole life into the service of mankind. After Franklin died, there was no person who could be compared with him any more. He is such a great person that his doings influenced generation after generation. Besides, his Autobiography became a treasure in the history of American literal history, until today, it was read by millions of people in the world, which has been regarded as a guideline to success. For the thirteen virtues in the Autobiography, all of which are regarded as the principle of action in people’s daily life.Bibliography1.Abbott, H. Porter. The Cambridge Introduction toNarrative. New York：Cambridge University Press，2002.2.Bronson, W. C. A Short History of America Literature.Boston, Heath, 1900.3.Bastain, Peter. “Let’s Do Lunch: Benjamin Franklin and theAmerican Character.”Australasian Journal of AmericanStudies (2005): 83-89.4.Campbell, James. Recovering Benjamin Franklin: AnExploration of a Live of Science and Service. Chicago:Open Court, 1999.5.J. A. Leo Lemay, ed.Autobiography, Poor Richard,& Later Writings. Library of America, 1987 one-volume,2005 two-volume.6.本杰明富兰克林. 富兰克林自传[M]. 江石亮，许国平译. 上海: 东方出版社中心，1999.7.常耀信. 美国文学选读（上册）[M]. 南开大学出版社，1991. 120-1378.杨自伍. 美国文化选读（上册）[M]. 上海: 华东师范大学出版社，1997. 2-3.。
Benjamin Franklin
America's Original EntrepreneurBenjamin Franklin1706 - 1790Benjamin Franklin believed that the only way to true wealth was through hard work. He also believed very strongly, that all people were created equal and had the same opportunities available to them to achieve the American Dream.Franklin was one of the most incredible Americans who ever lived. He helped shape our young country’s destiny and was amazingly, far ahead of his time. He became a very successful entrepreneur, Statesman, diplomat, educator, inventor, author, printer, philosopher, scientist, shopkeeper, musician, economist, public servant and American hero.Born in Boston, Massachusetts, the youngest of seventeen children, Benjamin completed only two years of formal education through age ten. He became largely a self-educated individual with a passion for self-improvement. With a tremendous thirst for reading everything he could, Franklin developed a step-by-step system for building his moral character. He also taught himself several languages, including French, Italian and Spanish.In 1728, at the age of 22, Franklin opened his own printing office in Philadelphia and published a newspaper called the Pennsylvania Gazette. A few years later, he started publishing his famous “Poor Richard’s Almanac” under the fictional name of Richard Saunders. For the next 25 years he printed hundreds of sayings and words of wisdom such as: “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”Franklin became known as a great inventor as well. Some of his most famous inventions include bifocals, the Franklin stove and the lightning rod.As a brilliant civic leader in early America, his ideas helped develop the Philadelphia library that became the first circulating library in the country. He also developed a municipal police and fire force, a city hospital, the American Philosophical Society, the first profitable and efficient national postal system, and the University of Pennsylvania.Through hard work and thriftiness, Franklin acquired a great deal of wealth. He would never have to work again if he ever decided not to. That never became the case.Although he was not actively seeking to get into politics he felt it was his civic duty as an American to come to the aid of his great country when they called upon him.In 1776, Franklin was instrumental in helping draft “The Declaration of Independence,” the foundation for our country’s freedom. He said, “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s founding fathers, and one of its greatest citizens, leaves us with these parting words:“If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing.”benjamin franklinBenjamin Franklin, one of the most important people of the new American Dream was born in Boston in January 1706 to a tradesman and a homemaker. It seemed unlikely that Benjamin Franklin would succeed in becoming one of the shapers of the American dream.Josiah Franklin, his father, a young Dyer in England with his first wife Anne and his three children, Josiah, Hanna, Samuel, and Elizabeth left England and came to Boston in 1683. In the begging society of Boston population 5,000 they seemed not to be in ne ed of Josiah’s skills forcing him to find a new trade candle and soap making. Many years later Anne Franklin died from complication of giving birth to herseventh child. Franklins father soon married Abaih Folger of Nantucket who went on to have ten more c hildren who Benjamin was the eight child. From Benjamin’s point of view his mother was a very caring and loving person.James Franklin, Benjamin’s older brother had already become a printer by the age of twenty-one. Seeing the opportunity Benjamin signed on with his brother for nine years in 1718. The contract committed Benjamin to work for his brother nine years until the age of twenty-one. The new work opened doors for Benjamin. Through his brother’s dealings with book. . .After a short stay in New York they arrived in Philadelphia in October with no money and not knowing what to expect of the future. He also helped organize groups of volunteer fire fighters. However, he used his talent and determination to create an extremely profitable enterprise.Inspired by the dream of becoming a writer Benjamin, ascertain that his brother would not publish any of his work began slipping his work under the door at his brothers print shop. Eventually these pointed rods were modified to serve as lightning rods desi gned to protect people’s homes. Among the other things he had a great political career. The next year he was given the job Postmaster.While electricity brought him international praise, the brilliant Franklin investigated a variety of other sciences as well. No one suspected that a sixteen-year-old boy could write such great writings. Franklin then turned his attention to the activities he most adored: science and politics. Unknown to Franklin was that Deborah Read the woman that Franklin had secretly made a promise to marry had lost all hope of his return from England. Then a little after all these great achievements Franklin suffered a tremendous loss of his four-year-old son Francis from small pox. Throughout his life, Benjamin studied weather and proposed models to describe the progression of storm systems across the continent. Strange enough John’s daughter would soon become Benjamin’s wife. Consequently, he contacted a friend from London and asked him to get glass tubes and data on the procedure of electrical experiments.Benjamin FranklinBenjamin Franklin's story is that of the American dream, building his way up from nothing to prestige and influence through his own hard work and skill. Still he reveals that he made some errors in his life that make him less than perfect. It is this fact that he appeals to the reader in a very average and common man, not that of a hero. According to Franklin, when in the company of his friend's wife, "I grew fond of her Company, and being at this time under no Religious restraints, and presuming on my Importance to her, I attempted Familiarities, (another Erratum)" (552). In retrospect, an older, wiser Franklin can gloss over this event as something in the far away past when he was young and foolish. He can present himself as flawed in the past without hurting his acknowledged vanity because he has learned from his mistakes and is a better person when he writes his autobiography.This self-representation is still very limited in its details of what he actually did, perhaps lessening the appearance of wrong on his side. First he makes excuses for his actions, saying he was "under no Religious restraints." It does not seem to concern him that the lady, Mrs. T., was under religious re . . .People began to enjoy life and to want to get as much out of this life as they could, rather than seeing temporal life as merely a path to the eternal life. Nobody likes perfection for it raises one above another. He does not appear to show any remorse for his immortality or the fact that he lost a friend. Franklin also disregards his friend's feelings in the matter, revealing a truly despicable character. Franklin strove to better himself in order to gain more out of his life, rather than solely to get into heaven. The essence of his autobiography is to write about life on this earth, rather than above. ) and devises a step-by-step method of learning them (577-578).Franklin also believed in education for progress while the Puritans believed in literacy to read and understand the Bible.Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography is also filled with examples and illustrations of Enlightenment thought, which show further insight to his own self. here are many more examples that contrast the mindset between Franklin and the Puritans. Franklin's education was again focused on bettering humanity rather than finding a path to God.Rationality is another central Enlightenment belief that is present in Franklin's work. The older, wiser Franklin reveals himself to be flawed too, as he glosses over these mistakes in a vain attempt to save face.While the Puritans wrote extensively on God's mystery and omnipresence, Franklin only mentions God in passing when he thanks the "Blessing of God" for his success during his temporal life (524). Franklin has written a "how-to-succeed" manual for this life rather than the next.ben franklinBenjamin Franklin, one of the most important people of the new American Dream was born in Boston in January 1706 to a tradesman and a homemaker. It seemed unlikely that Benjam in Franklin would succeed in becoming one of the shapers of the American dream.Josiah Franklin, his father, a young Dyer in England with his first wife Anne and his three children, Josiah, Hanna, Samuel, and Elizabeth left England and came to Boston in 1683. In the begging society of Boston population 5,000 they seemed not to be in need of Josiah’s skills forcing him to find a new trade candle and soap making. Many years later Anne Franklin died from complication of giving birth to her seventh child. Franklins father soon married Abaih Folger of Nantucket who went on to have ten more children who Benjamin was the eight child. From Benjamin’s point of view his mother was a very caring and loving person.James Franklin, Benjamin’s older brother had already become a printer by the age of twenty-one. Seeing the opportunity Benjamin signed on with his brother for nine years in 1718. The contract committed Benjamin to work for his brother nine years until the age of twenty-one. The new work opened doors for Benjamin. Through his brother. . .To this day the identity of Williams true mother remains a mystery.In 1752, Franklin performed his famous kite experiment with the help of his twenty-one year old son, William. The Franklin Stove invented by him in 1748 at the age of 42 improved heating and reduced fire hazards. After a short stay in New York they arrived in Philadelphia in October with no money and not knowing what to expect of the future.I don’t know really why I chose to write about Benjamin Frankli n, but as I started reading about all his great ideas and stuff he accomplished he started to interest me. Benjamin continued his relationship with Deborah Reed.Around 1730 Benjamin wanted to hurry up and get married since he had just fathered a son, named William out of wedlock. This angered Benjamin so he started his own newspaper, The New England Courant, in august 1721. To prove this theory, he set up tall pointed rods that provided an easy path for the electricity of lightning to follow. 217;s dealings with booksellers, Benjamin was exposed to a great deal of literature and philosophy. I never knew about half the stuff Franklin accomplished. And founded a college which is today know as the University of Pennsylvania. Franklin’s great ideas provided hu ge gain to the city of Philadelphia.Sailing on July 23, 1776 Franklin finally landed in Philadelphia on October 11.。
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American Dream and Benjamin
Franklin
学校: 云南民族大学
学院: 外国语学院
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American Dream and Benjamin Franklin The so-called American Dream, is a belief that as long as the United States after a hard struggle will be able to achieve the ideal of a better life. That is, people have to work through their own hard work, courage, creativity and determination to move towards prosperity, rather than rely on specific social classes and other assistance. This is usually on behalf of the people in the economic success or entrepreneurial spirit.
American Dream---The statue of liberty was for many immigrants the first point of view of United States, It signifies freedom and personal liberty and iconic of the American Dream. The American Dream is the idea held by many in the United States of America that through hard work, courage and determination one could achieve prosperity. These were values held by many early European settlers , and have been passed on to subsequent generations.
In The Declaration of Independence have shown e American Dream thought:“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
In my opinion, Franklin is embodiment American cultural diversity．Benjamin Franklin is one such person, commercially successful, ever concerned and involved with the public good, a great communicator, and a remarkable man of science and technology. Trying to comprehend Benjamin Franklin’s life and legacy is like trying to grab a shadow.Each time one tries to get a fix on the reflection，it darts away and grows even Larger
Benjamin Franklin is the embodiment of American Dream .Benjamin Franklin , who instructed his countrymen as printer, not a priest. He was a humanist; a master of diplomacy; a humanitarian who helped establish hospitals, schools, and libraries. He was a believer in the possibilities of human progress and the comfort of material success; and he was a prose stylist whose writing reflected the neoclassic ideals of clarity, restraint, simplicity, and balance. Franklin seemed to represent the age in his
paradoxical faith in both social order and in natural rights, in love of stability and devotion to revolutionary change. He was symbolic even in his success in the printing trade, for the eighteenth century in American was a time of an immense expansion of publishing that fed a growing and increasingly literate colonial population.
In that time, social order is the pursuit of wealthy, and freedom is the natural rights. Franklin seemed to represent the age in his paradoxical faith in both social order and in natural rights, in love of stability and devotion to revolutionary change. He was successful in business, renowned in science, the most modern spirited man of early American’s also severed his nation brilliantly.。