The Impact of Ben Franklin's Youth
             The life of Benjamin Franklin was doubtlessly a great one, characterized by sound judgment and a revolutionary way of thinking. He served as a delegate for his country to foreign nations for these very attributes. How does a man become so unique and independent? This is a slow process, the foundations of which were rooted in Ben's youth. His early education and his relationship with his father both helped to shape this American hero.
             Ben Franklin received very little formal education as a youth and thus had to educate himself. His older brothers all became apprentices in assorted trades, but Ben was put into grammar school at the age of eight, instead. He was an eager learner when it came to reading and thus he was at the head of his class for some time. However, his father was unable to afford this line of education so Ben was sent to a school for writing and arithmetic under an esteemed master. This is where Ben learned to write, but arithmetic was a weakness of his. He remained here until he was ten and these two years are his formal education in its entirety. Ben always had a devotion to books, perhaps instilled in him by an uncle with his namesake. This ingenious uncle was somewhat of a role model for Ben, who looked up to his uncle's writings and poetry. Ben went on to become a printer's apprentice under his brother; still retaining his love of reading and desire to write. As a result, much of Ben's skill developing was left to be done under his own discipline. He borrowed books and read them voraciously in order to emulate their writing style. In a sense, this lack of a formal education sets the stage for Franklin's way of living and individualistic virtues, which he will espouse later in life. Self-discipline and temperance was encouraged, as he had to balance his passion for writing and his apprenticeship to his brother. In fact, the young ...