Irony in “The Way to Wealth” Essay Example

twenty-five years, Franklin published the almanac filled with the proverbs of the fictitious Poor Richard.  The simple sayings praised prudence, common sense, and honesty, and became standard American proverbs.

In “The Way to Wealth,” Franklin offers many of these adages to help the reader appreciate the benefits of frugality and hard work.  In a direct address to the reader by the fictitious Richard Saunders, the essay details the speech of Father Abraham to a crowd of listeners that are discussing the badness of times and the high taxes.

  Franklin begins by depicting Richard’s image in a way that he is revered and respected by many people.  While addressing his readers, Richard says that when walking around town, “I have frequently heard one or other of my adages repeated with ‘as Richard says’ at the end on ‘t; this gave me some satisfaction, as it showed not only that my instructions were regarded, but discovered likewise some respect for my authority” (Franklin 493).

By establishing Richard as a respectable authority figure, Franklin strengthens the value and impact of the many aphorisms he puts forth in the essay.  By, putting most of these aphorisms in the speech of Father Abraham, Franklin adds even more weight to the message.

Father Abraham quotes the words of the respected Poor Richard.  His name gives a sense of Biblical authority and wisdom, and the townspeople appeal to the wise old man for advice on the current dismal state of economic affairs.

Delivered much like a sermon, the words of Father Abraham recall the sayings of Poor Richard, a sly narrative technique of Franklin to reinforce

the impact of his twenty-five years of aphoristic wisdom.  Franklin believed that wealth was important because it led to both frugality and industry, and Father Abraham echoes this sentiment by recalling the words of Richard: “a word to the wise is enough, and many words won’t fill a bushel” (493).

The townspeople clamor for Father Abraham to continue, establishing their respect for his wisdom and encouraging the reader to do the same.  In effect, this respect for the words of Father Abraham is respect for the source of his quoting: Poor Richard.

Subsequently, it is the words of Franklin that the fictitious crowd desires to hear.  Father Abraham continues to quote Poor Richard with a number of sayings that instruct people on how to conduct their finances, as Franklin challenges his readers to pay heed to the words of wisdom, yet continue to think for themselves.