Meritocracy in America: Franklin as a Reflection of His Culture Lorenzo Escobar College

Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography has remained an important piece of early American literature not only because it gives the history of one of the founding fathers but also portrays the American ideology of meritocracy. Franklin’s Autobiography is uniquely edited into multiple parts and does not tell Franklin’s life story chronologically, instead it starts as a letter to his son and the public about his personal experience with the meritocracy of America and possibility to raise your status in society. This type of meritocracy was not in England where status came directly from your family many times but as Franklin shares from this personal narrative it is possible to come from humble beginnings and through hard work and self-improvement eventually rise up higher in society than where you started.

Instead of telling the story of his life in chronological order, Franklin sets up the first section of his Autobiography by laying out a few important moments from his younger years about himself to show the meritocracy of America. Franklin knowing his audience at this time knows of the achievements of his life gives a vivid description of how he was vastly different upon his arrival in Philadelphia. “I have been more particular in...