There wasn't one particular quote or passage that Franklin wrote in his autobiography that I've read so far (I'm not through all 72 pages for tomorrow yet) that really stuck out to me, but as soon as I started reading it, I realized how much he emphasizes his education as well as his father's, uncles', and brothers'. He seems to put a lot of value on education rather than on the material things in his family's lives. On his parents' grave marker, he put "Without an estate or any gainful employment, By Constant labor and industry, with God's blessing, They maintained a large family comfortably." His family was obviously not wealthy or overrun with possessions, but through hard work and an education of at least one skill, they were able to live comfortably. He mentions his brothers' different apprenticeships as well as his own and how he was able to improve his writing tremendously through reading a lot and working under his brother in the print shop. He makes a strong impression that education was very important in the America he lived in at the time. I think that we still place a huge emphasis on the importance of education in the US today. We are constantly trying to find better ways to improve test scores, keep kids in school, etc. In the community and family I was brought up in, it was assumed that I would go to a four year college right after high school. Everyone is always telling you to "stay in school so you can get a good job and live happily ever after." In almost all cases, education is necessary in the United States in order to live comfortably, as Franklin described. We may not have to sign forms as indentured apprentices to someone, but we are placed in an education system for twelve or thirteen years where we're held accountable to be there and do the work. Americans place education as a very high priority, and I would like to find out more about how other countries' education systems work or what happens if they don't really have one. I think that in our generation, it is more and more assumed that you have graduated from at least high school and a lot of the time, college as well. It seems like it will get harder and harder to get a job and "live comfortably" without a decent education like Ben Franklin and many of his peers received.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Benjamin Franklin
There wasn't one particular quote or passage that Franklin wrote in his autobiography that I've read so far (I'm not through all 72 pages for tomorrow yet) that really stuck out to me, but as soon as I started reading it, I realized how much he emphasizes his education as well as his father's, uncles', and brothers'. He seems to put a lot of value on education rather than on the material things in his family's lives. On his parents' grave marker, he put "Without an estate or any gainful employment, By Constant labor and industry, with God's blessing, They maintained a large family comfortably." His family was obviously not wealthy or overrun with possessions, but through hard work and an education of at least one skill, they were able to live comfortably. He mentions his brothers' different apprenticeships as well as his own and how he was able to improve his writing tremendously through reading a lot and working under his brother in the print shop. He makes a strong impression that education was very important in the America he lived in at the time. I think that we still place a huge emphasis on the importance of education in the US today. We are constantly trying to find better ways to improve test scores, keep kids in school, etc. In the community and family I was brought up in, it was assumed that I would go to a four year college right after high school. Everyone is always telling you to "stay in school so you can get a good job and live happily ever after." In almost all cases, education is necessary in the United States in order to live comfortably, as Franklin described. We may not have to sign forms as indentured apprentices to someone, but we are placed in an education system for twelve or thirteen years where we're held accountable to be there and do the work. Americans place education as a very high priority, and I would like to find out more about how other countries' education systems work or what happens if they don't really have one. I think that in our generation, it is more and more assumed that you have graduated from at least high school and a lot of the time, college as well. It seems like it will get harder and harder to get a job and "live comfortably" without a decent education like Ben Franklin and many of his peers received.
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