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By admin

Matt Hunt

02.17.15

HIS245

Did Franklin really Dogood with his letters

In the year of 1772, Benjamin Franklin printed a series of 15 letters under the pseudonym Silence Dogood. At the time, Benjamin Franklin was a 16 year old boy working for his brother’s paper at the New England Courant. Franklin went under this pen name for a couple of reasons. Firstly, Ben Franklin did not think his brother would publish his work because he was just a young man, and secondly, Franklin used his female pen name to help convey the struggle that women were enduring. Franklin writes in a sarcastic tone about problems he perceives in colonial America. His writing spans subjects from hardship for women in America, to a look at religious problems in the country, as well as encouraging citizens to do more and take pride in colonial America. These letters are an oversight and offer insight into how Franklin felt during the 1720’s as Britain started to get a negative view from colonial Americans. In the historiographical review I will examine the first three of Franklin’s Silence Dogood letters, and in particular take a look at the message he was conveying to the citizens of New England during this time.

When we examine the first Silence Dogood letter we see Franklin attempt to build an accordance with the audience. By examining the letter, we can notice that he tries to play to the sympathy of the reader by building a dramatic back-story for his character. Franklin uses a death of Dogood’s father, which occurred while crossing the Atlantic, to help make the reader more sympathetic to “Silence”, as she is raised by a single mother. Silence builds rapport with the readers by gaining empathy to the readers of the New-England Courant because Dogood was raised by a single mother and came from very humble beginnings. Although Ben Franklin was 16 years old, he knew exactly how to gain compassion from the readers without giving away that his character was not real. In the first letter, Dogood comes off as a hard worker willing to perform the jobs typical to her gender role at the time, “such as all Sorts of Needle-Work, writing, arithmetic”[1]. Dogood shows her ambition by describing her interest in reading and learning. Franklin continues to give an in depth look into Dogood’s early life in the second letter.

In her second letter, Silence goes on to write about the process of her courtship. It is here where the writing takes a satirical turn, as Franklin makes a mockery at the idea of engagements and marriage. Dogood stated that when her Country master asked for her courtship that she “burst out into an unmannerly laughter” before ultimately deciding to agree to the marriage.[2] As you read through the second letter, it appears that the fortune of Silence Dogood has reversed as she has become happily married with children. This only lasts for a short while before Franklin has her life take another negative turn. Silence Dogood becomes a widow herself. Franklin uses this moment to make the reader vulnerable and more likely to take heed to the message he has spent two letters getting ready to deliver. Franklin closes the letter with the most important information he has provided between the first two letters. Franklin uses the façade of Dogood to discuss his character and the concepts that he believes in. Through Dogood, Franklin states that he is “an Enemy to Vice, and a Friend to Virtue”.[3] Franklin does not only discuss his character, but he also discusses his feelings towards government. Franklin openly states that he is “a mortal Enemy to arbitrary Government and unlimited Power”.[4] Franklin, as a 16 year old man, is implicitly challenging the standings of the British rule. While Franklin does not directly criticize the occupation and rule of the British Government in the colonies in 1722, he does denounce everything the British stand for and the tactics they use. Though this is many years prior to the acts suppressing individual liberties in the colonies, it still gives insight in to Benjamin Franklin and his stance on suppressive governments. Franklin’s continues to express his feelings on patriotism and government as you begin reading the third Silence Dogood letter.

By the third letter, it is clear that Benjamin Franklin is not trying to tell the story and upbringing of his character, Silnce Dogood anymore. Franklin is using Dogood to anonymously express his feelings on government and other key issues at the time. At the beginning of this letter Franklin builds on the points he has been making. Previously, Franklin expresses his displeasure with governments that are overly involved. By this letter, Franklin is now calling for people to show nationalism and stand up for their beliefs. He states, “It is undoubtedly the Duty of all Persons to serve the country they live in.”[5] Benjamin Franklin is calling for a unification of the people in the colonies. He calls for the colonists to have pride in where they come from and to do everything in their power to help out their country. While at the time the country would be considered England, it is not service to England that Franklin is asking for from the colonists. Franklin is asking the colonists to have a sense of pride from where they come from. Franklin believes it is the colonists that need to stand up and serve their country and to have pride in their beginnings.

Over the course of these three letters, Benjamin Franklin builds rapport with the reader before stating his beliefs and calling for a rise in nationalism from the readers. If we look at the life of Silence Dogood in an allegorical, sense we can view her as what is America and the American colonists. Dogood represents these colonists that come from nothing. The death of her father on the trip over and her tough childhood represent the people living in the colonies. Though she goes through a tough time, Dogood is a hardworking individual that strives for excellence. Once Franklin makes the connection with the readers, he then discusses government and positive virtues. Franklin denounces large intrusive governments, i.e. England, and calls for individuals to have pride in what they come from and to support and do anything for their country. The Dogood letters were so popular because Silence Dogood represented the lives of the common folk in 1722 and overcomes all obstacles in her way.

[1] Franklin, Benjamin. “The New England Courant: Silence Dogood.” Ushistory.org. Accessed February 16, 2015. http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/courant/silencedogood.htm.

[2] Imbed.

[3] Imbed.

[4] Imbed.

[5] Imbed.