Jonathan Edwards And Benjamin Franklin Essay Example For Students

Jonathan Edwards And Benjamin Franklin Essay From their critical assessments on how to improve themselves and to the Americanpublic that they influenced by their writings, Jonathan Edwards and BenjaminFranklin illustrate American themes in their personal narratives thatquintessentially make part of American Literature. Although they lived indifferent times during the early development of the United States of America andwrote for different purposes, they share common themes. Their influence by theirenvironment, individualism, proposals for a better society, and events thataffected their society generate from their writings. By analyzing JonathanEdwards Personal Narrative, Resolutions, Sinnersin the Hands of an Angry God, and selections from Benjamin Franklins TheAutobiography of Benjamin Franklin found in The Heath Anthology of AmericanLiterature: Third Edition Volume One edited by Paul Lauter, the fundamentalthemes in American literature are evident and their individual ideas aredistinctive. These personal narratives reveal the influences of theirenvironment that gave them epiphanies to their closer perfection of themselves. Jonathan Edwards Personal Narrative shows his journey towards acloser relationship to God. His family was followers of the CongregationalistChurch, and from early childhood, he followed a Christian life (Lauter 569). Inthe beginning of his autobiography, Personal Narrative, he saysI had a variety of concerns and exercise about my soul from my childhood;but had two more remarkable seasons of Mckenize 2 awakening, before I met withthat change, by which I was brought to those new dispositions, and that newsense of things, that I have had (Lauter 581). Edwards endures arite of passage, which brings him closer to God. These epiphaniesassisted on his assessment of becoming a better man in the eyes of God andminister to his community. Benjamin Franklin did not hold his family beliefs ofChristianity, but from his early environment, he drew his relationship to God asa Deist. Franklin believed there is a Supreme Being and it is our job todiscover our own reality by reasoning. In his autobiogra phy, he notes severalepiphanies that changed his lifestyle. For example, he regretted his leavingMiss Read for England without pursuing their relationship further. He callsthese regrets or wrongdoings Erratum (Lauter 788). The spiritualityof Franklin and Edwards is distinctive, and their writings reflect theirexperiences and growth of improvement. Franklin as a Deist felt that he createdhis destiny by the decisions he made. His autobiography illustrates his faultsand accomplishments. This openness aims to the audience, the American, in orderfor them to reevaluate themselves and improve from their weaknesses. Franklinwanted Americans to become better Americans. With Edwards beliefs, he felt thatgod predestined every man, and only the elect entered in theafterlife to heaven. He focuses his writing to the Christian audience. His goalis to prepare them to become candidates to be elect and show how theelect can set an example for the rest of the congregation. These menfelt the responsibi lity to live a better life and set the example for every manin their community. As individuals, they constantly contemplate andself-evaluate there position in life and Mckenzie 3 community. In Early AmericanLiterature: A Collection of Critical Essays, the editor Michael T. Gilmorewrites in the introduction, in their minds the Bible wasthe book of history, and typology revealed the developmental pattern of eventsby finding correspondences between the Old and New Testaments (2). Edwardsconstantly places his life according to the bible. He believed like Winthrop,that his community needs to prepare and become a city upon a hill(Gilmore 2). Through his contemplation and goals seen inResolutions, he constantly seeks to improve himself, so he canfulfill Gods plan for a new Holy Land, which is his congregation in NewEngland. His sole concentration was interpreting the Bible and living by itswords. He recorded his goals to improve himself and set an example to hiscommunity. Benjamin Frankli n seeks the same goals as an individual, but hedesires to improve the American man. In Soundings: Some EarlyAmerican Writers, Lewis Leary writes Franklin was the true Americanconstantly redefines himselfnone better represented the simple, noblemenwho lived close to nature faithful to her laws uncontaminated byartificialities of court or town (9, 11). Franklin lists virtues that heintended his audience to try to follow when they chose to improve themselves. Byexplaining that no one can change overnight and work on one vice untilsuccessively conquered, such as chastity, every man can find self-improvementand further contribute to their community (Lauter 810-11). With a diary anddocumenting each vice, Edward sought to overcome his sins, be closer to God, andteach from his experience the necessity to set the best example as one of theelect. With Franklins table of conquering vices, he wanted to becloser to being virtuous. These men documented their progress of theirself-defined resoluti ons in hopes of their community to follow Mckenzie 4 bytheir example. They desire to be influential by their own sacrifices and catchattention and esteem by their community. Edwards and Franklins writingsreflect the political and social separations in their society. While Franklinteaches through writing the events to all Americans for the need for a closersociety after the Revolutionary War, Edward preaches to his congregation theneed to bind together and seek salvation during the time when America redefinedreligion. In, Sinners of an Angry God, Edwards reacts with anger andfierceness to his congregation in the reaction to the GreatAwakening. In his sermon to his church, Edwards theme is to plea the manynot saved and doomed to damnation. He preaches, now you have anextraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has thrown the door of mercywide open (Lauter 602). He pleas to divert the influence of uncertifiedpreachers and stay close to the community and save themselves. His idea of holding a community is by threat of damnation. As Ursula Brumm explains in heressay Jonathan Edwards and Typology, in Early American Literature: ACollection of Critical Essays, Edwards took part heart and soul in theevents of the Great Awakening. He regarded this movement with overwhelmingexpectations in the belief that it marked the beginning of the millennium(71). Edwards felt that the temptations of Satan was the cause of this event,and by force in this sermon, he attempted to hold his congregation during thistest by God who wanted to see who was faithful. Franklin was not as forceful inhis attempt to influence man to become more patriotic. He simply wanted some tofollow the path that he paved. He discusses that the application of his list ofvirtues and how they make man a good citizen. He says its every onesinterest to be virtuous, who wishd to be happy even in this world (Lauter818). His aim is to show men, that Mckenzie 5 literature, like hisautobiography, helps men analyze th eir own errors and correct (Leary 15). Thetheme of rags to riches dominates Franklin autobiography and it is acommon theme used by many American writers. At the time after America won itsindependence, the nation struggled for the identification of a model citizen. Tomato Fishing EssayNot only did Benjamin Franklin love liberty, he also had great skill asa diplomat. In this role, Franklin