Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1706. He was the tenth son of fifteen children to Josiah and Abiah. Shortly after leaving grammar school, he began to work in his father's shop. He absolutely hated it, so he began working with his brother, a printer. He ran away to Pennsylvania to do work of his own at such a young age, because his intelligence so far exceeded that of his family's.
Before retiring, he established a fire company, invented a stove, founded a library, along with other accomplishments. In 1757, he moved to England for five years to represent the colonies. He served as a representative of the Second Continental Congress, which led to his signing of the Declaration of Independence. He was a proud signer of the Treaty of Paris which ultimately ended the Revolutionary War. He is known as a hero of the 18th century. He died on April 17, 1790 at the age of 84, and twenty thousand people attended his funeral. He still lingers in society today because of his numerous accomplishments, and we can find him on our hundred dollar bill.
In 1718, Franklin began an apprenticeship in his brother's printing shop. This is a key event in his life, because it was the first step in living his dream of becoming something other than a soap maker for his father. He had bigger goals set, and leaving home that young to pursue something like that takes an amount of courage. In 1732 is when he published his almanac, which was probably his first major breakthrough. It was the most popular almanac in America at the time, and it's where “The Way to Wealth” originated from. In 1748, he proved that lightning was an electrical discharge which led to his invention of the lightning rod. In 1776, he became a signer of the Declaration of Independence. This is important because in doing so, he made history and also changed it. In “The Way to Wealth”, one of his adages states “Great estates may venture more, but little boats should keep near shore”. I think this recognizes many of his achievements. With high set goals, one should explore to achieve them, but those who are weak and timid have no need to venture out. Since his goals were set so high, he did just that. He ventured out into the world and accomplished many things. 
Franklin's writing style was clear and had to appeal to his audience. He is scientific but straight forward. It is also a possibility that he could have been described as a bit sarcastic. He developed a satirical style of writing with focus on a variety of issues: social, political, and personal being the three most common.
I think these three issues are all referenced in Franklin's “The Way to Wealth”. An incident in which people attack the author with questions about the badness of times and heavy taxes is explained in the third paragraph. They are in a panic, fishing for helpful advice. “God helps them that helps themselves” was the advice given to the people. The reader is able to relate to this because a lot of times we get in too much of a hurry when we should really slow down and think about what's important. This would eliminate a good deal of our problems today.
What makes “The Way to Wealth” so clear to me is the organization Franklin used to incorporate these adages. I found it easier to read and understand. Each adage was placed exactly where it should have been to properly fit in the essay. Rather than throwing down a list of sayings, he was able to include them in a well-developed and informative essay.
After researching psychological as well as health problems Franklin may have faced, I uncovered some interesting information. Not only did Franklin have physical “issues”, but he went through some emotional times as well. He loved and respected both of his parents, but he was not content at home. His home life was not financially stable, and he was forced to work for his father as a candlemaker. He knew that he would be happier elsewhere, so he left and went to work with his brother for the Boston newspaper. He spent much of his time away from his family, which probably caused a lot of emotional stress for Franklin. The mother of his wife Deborah declined his proposal at first, leaving him a bit in despair.
Many people believe that Benjamin Franklin may have had autism, or Asperger's syndrome. I haven't found anywhere that clearly states that, but many articles give reason to why this may have been true. He may not have been diagnosed with autism, but he has been known to portray similar characteristics. Being excessively smart, restless, and strong-willed are a few qualities Franklin portrayed leading up to these assumptions. This is shown in the text of “The Way to Wealth” through his drive for success. This entire piece revolved around the way to success. He also gives advice related to restlessness in his quotes “have you somewhat to do tomorrow, do it today” and “there will be sleeping enough in the grave”. Just because he had a strong work ethic and longed for success does not necessarily mean he had autism. This is just a disorder some saw as a possibility for Franklin.
Aside from natural causes, all of these played a role in Franklin's death in April of 1790.
“The Way to Wealth” was based on a collection of sayings that were written in “Poor Richard's Almanac”, which were later delivered in a speech by “Father Abraham”. This work is more of an informative rather than a narrative, therefore, Franklin doesn't include specific characters. The only time anyone is mentioned is when he is quoting Richard Saunders. What many people don't know is that Ben Franklin is Richard Saunders. He published many of his works under this pseudonym.
It was no secret that Ben Franklin was the author of this work, but the way his character Poor Richard was portrayed repeatedly denied it. Even though he was his own character, as a reader we can view them separately. We know that Poor Richard doesn't relate to anyone in his life, but we are able to see the respect he had for his own works. By the way he commentates on his own phrases, we can see that he actually believed in them as a way to success, and respects his own quotes to live by.
The opening paragraph implies that not many well known authors or critics really showed much attention or respect for his works, but in the second paragraph of “The Way to Wealth”, the author explains that the “people” are the best judges of his merit. “People” is the term used here to classify a wide spectrum, from friends to family to acquaintances, even strangers. By buying his works, they gave him a sense of satisfaction. If they had not thoroughly liked or respected his works, they would not have purchased them. Back then, the author would overhear conversations involving particular phrases from his works. Whether or not they clearly stated their opinions, their response was shown through their actions. His adages were powerful and people used them on their own way to wealth.
Modern day scholars seem to admire Franklin's “The Way to Wealth”. It gives good advice on how to succeed through life. Although this work was a success, anyone that knows much about Ben Franklin knows that he didn't really live according to each of his adages. He many have tried, but didn't fully accomplish them. I think modern day students, like myself, would find this essay appealing because of the content it delivers.
My reaction to “The Way to Wealth” was actually to my own surprise. If a work doesn't fully grasp my attention right from the start, I tend to lose focus. Reading has never been something I enjoyed doing, but I actually got involved in this work. Franklin's “The Way to Wealth” was entertaining to me because I found its adages, or old sayings, unique and important. A lot of these sayings are still lingering in society today, some of which I have related to my life in some way without even knowing it. “There are no gains, without pains” is a big one that I have quoted several times being an athlete. I have always found it easier to read stories that I am somehow able to relate to, which is probably why I had a positive reaction to this essay.
Also, aside from giving advice that could potentially lead to wealth, he stresses the importance of practicing these things. Hard work, time management, and gratitude are just a few of the bahaviors essential for success, all of which I strongly believe in. Another reason I found this work interesting is because it proves that the idea of wealth and ways to earn it haven't really changed in over 200 years. If you actually pay attention, you will notice that we use many of these adages in our everyday lives, without even knowing it. What worked then, can still work for us today.
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