"A man being sometimes more generous when he has but a little money than when he has plenty, perhaps thro' fear of being thought to have but little" (25) (Situational Irony)
Franklin notes that the rich are often stingier than the poor. This is a keen irony, as one would expect men of means to give more money away, since they have more in the first place.
The Plan for Perfection (Dramatic Irony)
It is ironic that Franklin spends a lot of time talking about his plan for moral perfection, systematically detailing his steps and progress, but then ultimately says, "I never arrived at the Perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining" (90).
Franklin's Family Closeness and Distance (Situational Irony)
Scholar Andrea Tinnemeyer identifies the situational irony whereby Franklin's similarity to his ancient family relations ends up distancing him from his closer family: "Ironically, Franklin's close resemblance to the defiant and intelligent nature of his ancestors also functioned to remove him from his immediate family."
General Tone (Verbal Irony)
Overall, much of the first part of the work is suffused with irony, sometimes so subtly it is easy to overlook. One might even call Franklin's entire tone ironic. The verbal irony of this sentence aptly bears that claim out: "So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for every thing one has a mind to do" (35).
