The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin brings Benjamin Franklin’s approach to autobiography, nonfiction into clear focus first published in 1793. Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is an unfinished memoir written between 1771 and 1790. Franklin recounts his journey from a young apprentice fleeing Boston to becoming a successful printer and civic leader in Philadelphia. The work famously details his "Project of arriving at moral Perfection" through thirteen virtues, revealing his struggles and philosophies. Written across four parts over nearly two decades, this influential autobiography ends when Franklin was 52, leaving three decades of his remarkable life unrecorded. Its treatment of Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790 and Statesmen -- United States -- Biography gives readers several ways to connect the immediate story or argument with broader questions. Form and tone matter throughout, with a personal voice that turns recollection into argument, confession, and narrative. At roughly 64,800 words with a fairly difficult reading profile, it offers a reading commitment that is easy to judge before beginning while still leaving room for close attention. Its continuing value lies in its firsthand perspective on an individual life and its historical setting. It remains worth reading for the precision with which it turns Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790 and Statesmen -- United States -- Biography into a sustained literary experience.