Is there anyone you think is more of the archetypal American than Franklin? According to the dictionary, Archetypal means “very typical of a certain kind of person or thing.” Who was Benjamin Franklin? According to Wikipedia “Benjamin Franklin was an American polymath: a leading writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and political philosopher. Among the most influential intellectuals of his time, Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States; a drafter and signer of the Declaration of Independence; and the first postmaster general.” Why is he considered a archetypal American? According to Bartleby, “He was industrious. Franklin continually put forth the idea of the industrious American. He had support from the middle-class who did not care if he was rich but he was a man who was self-made and worked hard. This American attitude was formed early and most of it by him.” When he was young, he found an interest in reading and writing, so he started to print. He never gave up on this. Is there a more archetypal American than Franklin? Out of all the people I’m thinking of, yes he is. Here’s why. 

First of all, he didn’t care about having a ton of money. This is a great trait to have. 1 Timothy 6:10 says “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Earlier, I said that I was thinking of multiple people, but they all love money, so I didn’t choose them. Franklin was also self-made. According to Wikipedia, “A “self-made man” is a person whose success is of their own making. In the intellectual and cultural history of the United States, the idea of the self-made man as an archetype or cultural ideal looms large, but has been criticized by some as a myth or cult.” He was also a hard worker. This means that he didn’t give up easily. He kept going, even if there was some difficult challenge in his life. When he was faced with a situation he would do his best to fix it. He didn’t give up on his life goals either. He did them, mostly. He had his problems, but he is still a good example.