1a. What tasks did Benjamin Franklin perform for his brother as his apprentice?
2a. How did Franklin trick his brother into publishing his writing?
3a. What finally led to Franklin's leaving the newspaper and his job as apprentice?
4a. What personal qualities did Franklin possess by the end of his apprenticeship that demonstrated he would be able to make it on his own?
5a. Was Franklin justified in leaving his apprenticeship? Why, or why not?
1b. How did Franklin feel about the tasks his brother made him do? Why?
2b. Why did Franklin resort to trickery in order to get his pieces printed? Why did he finally reveal that he was the author?
3b. How did Franklin feel about abandoning his apprenticeship at the time he left? How had his attitude concerning the incident and his actions changed by the time he wrote his autobiography? Why had it changed?
4b. Were there more advantages or disadvantages for Franklin in serving as an apprentice to his brother? Cite examples to support your position. How do you think Franklin's view of the advantages and disadvantages might have changed as he matured?
5b. Have you ever broken an agreement because you thought you were treated unfairly? What happened? Did you regret your decision later?
Style. Cite an example of the egotism that marks Franklin's style.
Autobiography. What did you learn about Benjamin Franklin in this autobiographical selection that you might not have known if you had read a biography of him instead?
1. Imagine that you are James Franklin. Write a want ad for the position of apprentice at the New England Courant, detailing the duties of the position.
2. Write a letter to Franklin's brother, James, telling him what he should do to keep Benjamin as an apprentice at his newspaper.
3. Read the list of aphorisms by Franklin on page 147. Write several of your own modern day aphorisms.
Verbals: Gerunds. Identify each gerund and each participle in the sentences below.
1. To young Franklin, publishing was a challenging and rewarding career.
2. Even though annoying disagreements with his brother drove him into running away to Philadelphia, the printing skills he acquired gave him valuable experience.
3. Joining his abilities in writing and publishing with keen business sense, Franklin gained success quickly.
4. Then he enjoyed experimenting with electricity and inventing useful tools, such as the bifocals used by many people today.
5. Retired from business at age forty-two, Franklin spent most of the rest of his life as a diplomat, serving his country as ambassador to France.
Apprenticeship. Use your research skills to write a paragraph about an aspect of apprenticeship. For example, you might choose to write about which ancient civilizations used apprenticeship to provide job training, describe the role of guilds in arranging and supervising apprenticeships in medieval Europe, or find out which other famous Americans of the 1700s served as apprentices to learn their trade. You could also write about skilled trades today that require a period of apprenticeship.
Advice Column. Imagine that you write an advice column for a newspaper. Select an interesting letter from an advice column in your local paper or have a classmate write a letter about a real or imaginary problem. Then write a response to the letter, giving practical advice and insight. Use an aphorism from Poor Richard's Almanac or from another writing by Franklin (see page 147) in writing your response. If you prefer, you may write your own aphorism.
Talk-Show Interview. With a partner, hold a talk-show interview. Depending on which role you play, the host or Benjamin Franklin, write a list of questions or responses.
Benjamin Franklin
