Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

James Franklin is Benjamin Franklin’s older brother, who serves as a catalyst for Franklin’s decision to run away from Boston and establish his own printing house in Philadelphia. He also serves as one of Franklin’s biggest “errata” (See: Symbols & Motifs) due to the turmoil that exists in their relationship.

The introduction of James begins when he returns to Boston from England in 1717 “with a Press and Letters to set up his Business” (18), which foreshadows Franklin’s eventual trip to London for printing supplies. Here, the brothers mirror each other in their passion for success and desire for self-expression and freedom of speech. Franklin also establishes his older brother as the origins of his passion for printing and, eventually, his love of writing, both of which James encouraged. However, Franklin indicates that this encouragement arose due to James’s hope that “it might turn to account” and earn them money (18). Although Franklin credits James for his introduction to the journalism and publishing industry, he does not include how his brother was a pivotal figure in the printing industry at its inception except for a single mention that his brother founded the third American newspaper, The New England Courant.

Franklin’s narrative implies that James, despite playing a smaller role in the latter half of his life, serves as a key figure in important decisions Franklin makes that propel him into public service and self-improvement. While Franklin portrays his brother critically due to his contempt for how James treated him as an apprentice at his printing house, he also credits James for helping him enter a profession that enabled his upward mobility. While Franklin and his brother become estranged for several years in the Autobiography, they are reconciled at James’s death, with Franklin even adopting James’s son, thereby demonstrating their mutual love and respect for each other.

Josiah Franklin, Benjamin Franklin’s father, does not appear in the text except at the beginning of Part 1. However, Franklin implies that his father instills in him a love for education, and he appears to credit his father for encouraging the development of his intellect. His father sends him to grammar school because Franklin demonstrates qualities that will “certainly make him a good Scholar” (14), which Josiah wishes to support. Franklin’s commitment to lifelong learning reflects the legacy of this early education.

As a soap and candle maker, Josiah and Franklin have vastly different interests. Franklin recalls how his father mocked his youthful attempts at poetry, persuading the young man to pursue a more profitable occupation. However, his father’s support continues to resonate with Franklin when he attempts to start his own printing house. Josiah’s decision to not financially support his son, despite a letter of recommendation from Captain Keith, illustrates his ability to recognize his son’s need to gain maturity. At the same time, his decision to provide Franklin with money after he gets older shows that he still supports and believes in his son. Through this moment, Franklin credits Josiah with being more sensible in his decision-making than Franklin appears to be at times.