Comparison of Franklin &amp Essay Example

were not directly related to how his masters treated him. For example, he gained literacy while belonging to Mr. Auld, made new friends with the Hughs, and developed consciousness and courage while with Mr. Covey, a slave breaker. These assets gradually became his means of escaping slavery. Another similarity between the two narrations is the creation of characters by the authors themselves. The chronology and events in both authors' lives are questioned.Both authors, Franklin and Douglass, carefully selected events in their autobiographical works to emphasize the specific characters they wanted to portray. Although both narratives are based on their own lives, they exaggerated their roles in order to establish themselves as impoverished and disadvantaged individuals at the beginning, gradually ascending to power and success. Franklin, for instance, depicted himself as dirty and burdened with shirts and stockings, eating one while carrying another, to provide readers with a vivid sense of his condition when he ran away. Similarly, Douglass employed a similar approach to highlight his destitution. Douglass consistently emphasized his "sufferings," despite experiencing relatively less physical abuse compared to other slaves, while rarely glorifying his stroke of luck in receiving comparatively better treatment from most of his masters. The intentional exaggeration of characters by both authors primarily serves as a platform for embedding the rags-to-riches myth within their narratives. This style proves particularly effective as it taps into the American myth subliminally woven into their stories, which resonates with American readers and encourages them to buy into the authors' ideas.This style is widely used by other writers, especially anti-slavery writers, because it is a convenient way to compose sentimental approaches. Writers like Jacobs, whose works

primarily aim to inspire readers to take a stance against slavery, commonly use this style. I have previously mentioned that both Franklin and Douglass started out poor and unable to resist oppression. However, at 17 years old, they found the courage to break free and achieved success in their lives. The similarity in age during their turning points holds some significance in the story and for the authors, indicating that both agreed that 17 is the age of maturity. Furthermore, both authors believe that persuading matured readers is generally more challenging compared to younger readers aged 16 to 18. This is why Franklin and Douglass intentionally set their rebellious stage at the age of 17. They aimed to encourage teenage readers who are more "unstable" to dare to do something different and not conform to normality. This inherent instability enables these teenagers to be more receptive to radical ideas. Bearing this in mind and leveraging the vulnerability of Americans in believing the rags-to-riches myth, Franklin and Douglass were able to create effective and persuasive narratives. With their skill in writing prose, they crafted well-structured compositions that followed the chronology of the "rags-to-riches" storyline.The myths that Americans live by are what make up the American Dream, which ultimately keeps the country thriving (Douglas 1845:p.1017-1081, Franklin 1776:p.282-284).