The Way to Wealth by Benjamin Franklin - Book Report/Review Example

While doing so, the narrator quotes numerous passages from Franklin's earlier composition called "Poor Richard's Almanac". One of the aspects of the article that interested me most is the logical flow of the article. The flow of the article is so smooth that any reader would find it extremely convenient to move along with the article as it progresses. At no point did I find the necessity to go back to a previous line nor did I have to read the article more than once to grasp the idea behind the article.

The narrator begins with his idea about the heavy taxes levied by the government and without attempting to provide any justification regarding the levy of taxes, moves on to giving advice on improving one's life despite the heavy taxes. Franklin has ensured that no loose ends are left while framing the article. The narrator not only provides his advice, but consequently justifies his stand as well as provides explanations to the questions that the advice may arouse in a reader's mind. For instance, the narrator begins his speech with advice on how hard work would always result in better outcomes than laziness would.

He immediately adds that even leisure is equally important, but only a hard working person can enjoy leisure in the true sense. He also recommends that one must always stay out of debt. This would give rise to the question as to how a person starting with nothing in his pocket can manage without borrowing at least some amount of money. The narrator immediately explains that it is not the debt in itself that is harmful, but the inability to reduce it that would cause serious injury to one's wealth and pride.

He mentions that industry reduces debt and hopelessness increases it. By the end of the article, I had answers to almost all the questions that arose in my mind while going through the article. One of the biggest challenges one faces in life is to be more well off in future than one is today. Franklin has provided very simple solutions to tackle this challenge. The advice given throughout the article are not at all novel. They are the ones anyone would have heard time and again through various sources.

But, the way in which it has been narrated makes one really put a thought into it. Though the general idea among people is that the way to wealth is a very difficult one, the narrator makes it sound extremely simple and obvious. His advice is no more than to be industrious and frugal. Most of us would surely wonder if it is really possible for one to be industrious under all circumstances and be frugal at all times. But the simplicity in the narration makes it look easily achievable. The title of the article being "The way to wealth" gives the reader the notion that the entire article is only about wealth.

But surprisingly, Franklin also gives equal weight to other aspects such as independence and pride. For instance, the narrator mentions about how a debtor is always the slave of the creditor and therefore can never experience total freedom if he is forever under the burden of such debt. He also explains how one loses his pride by