Silence Dogood Essay #13

Between September 17th and September 24th of 1722, Benjamin Franklin under the pseudonym of “Silence Dogood” writes and submits his thirteenth essay addressed to the author of the New England Courant. In this brief essay, Franklin writes in the character of a woman who describes her encounters with the people she observes as she travels around town on a “pleasant moonlight evening”. As the story progresses, Franklin smoothly shifts from exploring the imagination associated with adventure to questioning women and their natural craving for pleasure.
Throughout the essay, Franklin repeatedly references women that Dogood observes the night of her walk. Franklin first illuminates women when Dogood encounters a crowd of about twenty people and describes it as one that consists of “both genders”. Soon after first spotting the crowd, Dogood would once again draw attention to women when she engages in conversation with “one of the females” that pretends to know her. By continuously citing women enjoying themselves, Franklin promotes the escapism of late night adventure while enticing his female readers to seek pleasure outside of the home.
As Franklin describes the enjoyment of various groups Dogood encounters, he also revives the spirit of his readers who might otherwise hesitate seeking excitement outside of the home. An instance of this occurring is when Dogood recalls a memory in which a woman asks a shoe maker how long he expects her shoes to last. Replying to the woman’s question, the shoe maker tells her “that he knew how many days she might wear them, but not how many nights because they were then put to a more violent and irregular service than when she employed herself in the common affairs of the house”. By referring to the woman’s role in the home, Franklin intends to question the gender roles of his time. This particular passage serves as another example of how Franklin explores gender roles in addition to the livelihood of all middle class people. Although much of the essay seemed to be a “night’s ramble”, Franklin reminds his readers that his imagination gives him too much to write stating that anything more “would take up too much room in your paper”. Statements such as this one where Franklin communicates directly with the reader demonstrates how his writing style elicits interest. In doing so, Franklin succeeds in stressing the power of imagination and how it can be used to understand people around you. To conclude, Benjamin Franklin tells the story of his encounters on a walk after dark to prove the existence of imagination and adventure.

13 thoughts on “Silence Dogood Essay #13”

  1. For the past few weeks, I have felt very strongly that I should write a letter to you about a particular subject. As I have been considering how to go about this task, for what seems like an eternity, I have been quite troubled by the fact that my efforts have thus far been in vain. You see, this is not something that can be easily explained in a few sentences or even paragraphs; it is rather something that must be made clear through example. Well, now I have to visit https://writix.co.uk/pay-for-essay website to pay for essay online because I do not want to delay my essay in the college.

  2. I am one of those people who like to take care of plants. So I have a lot of different flowers, pots and such in my house. Recently, I buy it all in one place, after I needed window planter boxes https://getpotted.com/planters/style-window/ , I found a great site that has almost everything I need, with good prices and fast delivery. I think you will definitely come in handy.

  3. 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

  4. Top designers and fashionable experts insist that every man and woman should have a stunning moto jacket in their wardrobe.goose country Most people believe it to be the typical leather jacket, making it without any doubt among the most deliver the best.

  5. Certificate 100 cer 100 in haircare signifies a commitment to excellence and proficiency in the field of haircare. It’s a mark of quality that consumers can trust for their haircare needs.

  6. Looking at this article, I miss the time when I didn’t wear a mask. baccaratcommunity Hopefully this corona will end soon. My blog is a blog that mainly posts pictures of daily life before Corona and landscapes at that time. If you want to remember that time again, please visit us.

Leave a Reply

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