The Learning Umbrella

I assigned The Autobiography to my sister, and my Mom was prepared to discuss it with her, having read it in high school.  I had never read it, however, and in following my rule not to assign anything I don’t read myself, I felt obliged to peruse it.

Obligation turned to pleasure, however, when I discovered how fun and cool Franklin was.  I love him!  Here’s an exerpt I particularly enjoyed:

I believe I have omitted mentioning that in my first Voyage from Boston, being becalm’d off Block Island, our People set abotu catching Cod & hawl’d up a great many.  Hiterto I had stuck to my Resolution of not eating animal Food; and on this Occasion, I consider’d with my Master Tryon, the taking of every Fish as a kind of unprovok’d Murder, since none of them had or ever could do us any Injury that might justify the Slaughter. - All this seem’d very reasonable. - But I had formerly been a great Lover of Fish, & when this came out of the Frying Pan, it smelt admirably well.  I balanc’d some time between Principle & Inclination: till I recollected, that when the Fish was opened, I saw smaller Fish taken out of their Stomachs: - Then, thought I, if you eat one another, I don’t see why we mayn’t eat you.  So I din’d upon Cod very heartily and continu’d to eat with other People, returning only now & then occasionally to a vegetable Diet.  So convenient a thing it is to be a Reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for every thing one has a mind to do. -

But while I find that passage funny, it doesn’t reflect the overall moral tone of The Autobiography.  Franklin was a perfectionist with himself, but somehow kept the saving grace of humor which prevented his being a complete stiff.  His accounts of self-education and self-improvement are inspiring, and then when he turns his attention to public improvement he does some incredible things.  This was a great man, and this look into his mind set is historical, inspiring, and funny all at the same time.