The Way To Wealth

In his speech to the crowd gathered outside of the merchant’s storefront, Father Abraham quotes Poor Richard a multitude of times, mainly in the form of Poor Richard’s aphorisms. Both Father Abraham and Poor Richard employ these aphorisms, or pithy sayings that impart wisdom and truth, often. Their matter-of-fact tone communicates to readers a sense of veracity and practicality, and they are often amusing, like the punchline to a joke. The aphorisms are highly accessible literary sayings and they are short, catchy, and easy to remember. These qualities enable fast and effective dissemination of Franklin’s words, as the literate readers were able to pass on the information to others who were unable to read.

Poor Richard’s aphorisms are perhaps the most well-remembered elements of Benjamin Franklin’s pre-Revolutionary War publication called Poor Richard’s Almanack. Some of Poor Richard’s best-known aphorisms wisely advise readers to live frugally, to work hard, and to live a simple life. These messages are delivered with the hope that readers who adopt these tenets will enjoy more satisfied lives. Still, to this day, many of Poor Richard’s aphorisms are used in daily conversation, demonstrating the enduring relevance of Benjamin Franklin’s words and wisdom.

In “The Way to Wealth,” Franklin uses allusions, or indirect references. For example, Franklin alludes to the Old Testament of the Bible when Father Abraham implores his listeners to emulate Job when industry, frugality and prudence do not deliver fast and easy results. As Job was a man whose patience while suffering is exemplary, Franklin’s allusion encourages virtuous imitation. Franklin also incorporates the notions of Lent and the Christian holy day of Easter into one of his aphorisms, while suggesting that “the blessings of Heaven” (17) await those who live simply. These religious allusions have the effect of linking Franklin’s values of frugality and hard word to spiritual wellness.

Franklin also mentions the philosopher’s stone, which is an allusion to a legendary material that was essential to the practice of alchemy. Alchemy is the old study of changing one material into another, and according to this philosophy, without the philosopher’s stone, alchemists cannot convert base metals into precious ones like gold or silver. Although the legend of the philosopher’s stone is a compelling one, especially for readers of Poor Richard’s Almanack who are not wealthy and who might see potential in an art like alchemy no matter its unlikeliness, the improbability of such a process as alchemy makes believing in it seem foolhardy, much like the practice of going into debt or relying on others or any of the other behaviors Franklin decries through the words of both Father Abraham and Poor Richard.

Benjamin Franklin is known for his wit and sense of humor, and he does not exempt himself from his ironic barbs and quips. For example, Franklin has Poor Richard quoting himself in a work that is entirely made up of his own words. As well, Poor Richards laments his unpopularity amongst his fellow writers in a self-deprecating manner, which encourages readers who may prefer to identify with an underdog.

Franklin’s use of humor sets the tone for his critiques of individuals as well as society at large. At the end of the essay, after Father Abraham concludes his lecture to the crowd, for example, he observes that the members of the crowd immediately defy his advice and proceed to spend their money and their credit as if they had not paid any attention to Father Abraham’s speech at any point. The crowd members’ disregard inspires Father Abraham to compare their reaction to that of a sermon; this bit of humor will amuse those members of society who recognize in themselves and in others the human tendency to ignore advice delivered via a preachy tone or an overly-didactic speaker.