Silence Dogood Essay #12

Ben Franklin, under the pseudonym of Silence Dogood, wrote a series of essays for the New-England Courant.  His twelfth essay, released in September of 1722, pertains to the “Vice of Drunkeness,” or the pastime of being intoxicated.  Franklin writes from an anti-alcohol perspective, while still trying to appease those that drink by including minor examples beneficial effects, even if they are exaggerated or sarcastic.

Franklin’s essay begins with examples of how alcohol can be both beneficial and detrimental to a person’s character.  For example, he states that alcohol sometimes helps people become more charismatic.  He writes, “Some who cannot ordinarily talk but in broken Sentences and false Grammar, do in the Heat of Passion express themselves with as much Eloquence as Warmth.”  Franklin then proposes the non-desirable effects of alcohol when he writes, “’Tis
strange to see Men of a regular Conversation become rakish and profane when intoxicated with Drink.”  Franklin continues his pattern by giving another positive effect of drinking when claiming, “Dic. Ponder discovers an excellent judgment when he is inspir’d with a Glass or two of Claret.”  This example once again affirms positivity towards alcohol, that is, until Franklin continues with a counter-argument.  The quote continues, “… but he passes for a Fool among those of small Observation, who never saw him the better for Drink.”  By making a fool out of himself due to his alcohol, the example of “excellent judgment” is nullified.  For most of Franklin’s examples that favor alcohol, he provides a counter-example against it.  This conveys a negative attitude towards alcohol.

Any positivity towards alcohol is quickly followed by the detrimental effects.  Franklin uses this style to show that intoxication may cause short term benefits – like increased charisma and excellent judgment – but generally leads to a downfall – such as rackish conversation and foolishness.  This technique is effective, as it highlights the negatives of drinking that exceed the positives.  Franklin’s view on alcohol, through the words of Silence Dogood, accurately represent the virtues he sought to follow.  To Franklin, practicing temperance made him a better man.  Due to this, he spread his ideas through Silence Dogood.

45 thoughts on “Silence Dogood Essay #12”

  1. Wow David, I love hove you describe Franklin’s feelings on drunkenness! You did a very good job at interpreting and analyzing Essay 12, and I love the plethora of quotes. The really help me grasp the ideas present in the article. Overall, I see a well written interpretation from you!

  2. Wow, thanks for so much useful information) This is an awesome essay. I am a third year student in university journalism and these tips are really interesting to me. By the way, now I need to write an essay on a difficult topic – about the future of ecology. In such difficult tasks, real professionals from top essay writing service always help me. Thanks to them for that and good luck with my studies!

  3. Thanks for the good post, I very often heard from students that they had problems writing scientific papers on various topics, it’s good that now there are services on which you can order the writing of your scientific paper on various topics

  4. Each time I am told there is a program update (each couple of months or so), I allow it to install, and it gives me 30 days (I think) of the premium features (dynamic scanning, etc) which you can obtain ‘permanently’ by paying for it at superior service at https://www.superiorpapers.com/research-paper-writing-service.php. After the 30 days, these premium features cease to be available, and you are left with just the manual “threat scan”, which many people find quite adequate.

  5. You are right to share useful experience. I understand how important this is for many. So thanks to the advice of my friends, I was able to make the right choice of best essay writing service uk. Specialists provide high-quality diversified assistance. For example, professional writing a term paper. Preparation of various essays on many and various subjects. If you wish to place an order, the essay will be ready in a few hours.

  6. Finance is basically the creation of wealth and it comprises the issuing of money to diverse resources. The academic tasks comprises a a lot of numeric computation and numbers. Almost every student find it hard to complete the complicated finance academic tasks and case studies without any extra help. Find out the comprehensive Finance Assignment Help resource from top qualified and experienced finance tutors and accomplish all your academic job hassle free!

  7. This is a great inspiring article.I am pretty much pleased with your good work.You put really very helpful information…
    Site: Lexin

  8. Salom. Menga sportga pul tikish juda yoqadi, ayniqsa https://mosbetuz.com bukmekerida. Bu har doim foydali va men ko’proq yutuq olishni istagan barcha sport tikuvchilari uchun juda ko’p ajoyib bonuslar va takliflarni topa olaman.

  9. Yellowstones jacket is worldwide online store where we offer best & high quality leather jacket including cosplay, jacket made with real leather material. Yellowstones jackets are one of the best brands. We also have a huge collection of Halloween Costumes and jackets offering you in very reasonable price with worldwide free shipping delivery on your door steps! Yellowstone S04 Beth Dutton Fur Coat

  10. I think this is one of the most important pieces of information for me.
    And I enjoyed reading your article.
    But I want to note a few general things: the style of the site is perfect, and the articles are excellent.

    카지노 게임
    꽁 머니 토토
    토토 검증
    토토 구인 구직
    토토 코드
    https://www.j9korea.com

  11. Good afternoon to all my dear friends. I think it will be very important for you to understand that there are services edu board that can help you study a lot. They do your homework for you and can do your term papers, this can improve your score and you can work freely without thinking about problems at uni.

  12. Mostbet https://mostbet.info.tr/, Türk bahisçiler için en iyi bahis şirketidir. Spor bahisleri, kartlar, rulet, slotlar, piyangolar ve daha fazlası web sitesinde ve mobil uygulamasında mevcuttur. Hesabın ilk kez doldurulmasıyla birlikte, 2005 yılına kadar para yatırma, ücretsiz bahisler, ücretsiz dönüşler ve çok daha fazlası için bonuslar mevcuttur. Şimdi Katıl!

  13. Elite chauffeurs are professional drivers who provide luxury transportation services to clients in various industries, including business, entertainment, and tourism.

  14. https://1most.bet/pl/ is one of the leading bookmakers on a global scale, offering a variety of advantages. Deposits are accompanied by bonuses of up to 200%, cashback is available every week, and free spins and free spins are also offered as a gift.

    With the Mostbest mobile app, you can always enjoy online casinos and bet on sports directly from your smartphone. Register now and open the doors to victory – the most profitable bonuses are available to new players!

  15. MostBet is the best bookmaker offering generous prizes for new customers. They offer a bonus of up to 200% on the first deposit, regular cashback every week, as well as access to online casinos and sports betting via a mobile application. New customers can enjoy the best bonuses. Don’t miss the opportunity to become a part of this leading bookmaker and win more on https://1most.bet/ur/.

  16. MostBet is the best bookmaker offering generous prizes for new customers. They offer a bonus of up to 200% on the first deposit, regular cashback every week, as well as access to online casinos and sports betting via a mobile application. New customers can enjoy the best bonuses. Don’t miss the opportunity to become a part of this leading bookmaker and win more on https://1most.bet/az/.

  17. সেরা বুকমেকার সর্বাধিক দ্রুত অর্থ প্রদান এবং জয়ের উচ্চ সম্ভাবনা সহ বিট. এখনই নিবন্ধন করুন এবং আমাদের কাছ থেকে একটি উদার বোনাস পান: https://spartancv.co.uk/mostbet-bn.html

  18. Genuinesmm.com is a trusted and results-driven social media marketing service dedicated to helping businesses and individuals establish a genuine and impactful online presence. With expert strategies and personalized approaches, Genuinesmm boosts engagement, increases followers, and drives organic growth. By leveraging industry insights and staying up-to-date with the latest trends, Genuinesmm empowers clients to build a credible digital footprint, enhance brand visibility, and achieve long-term success in the competitive world of social media marketing. Trust Genuinesmm to unlock the true potential of your social media presence and connect with your target audience authentically.

  19. সেরা বুকমেকার সর্বাধিক দ্রুত অর্থ প্রদান এবং জয়ের উচ্চ সম্ভাবনা সহ বিট. এখনই নিবন্ধন করুন এবং আমাদের কাছ থেকে একটি উদার বোনাস পান: https://www.ncl-deutschland.de/mostbet-bn.html

  20. It’s really great. Thank you for providing a quality article. There is something you might be interested in. Do you know majorsite ? If you have more questions, please come to my site and check it out!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *