Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Errata, which refers to an error in printing, is a motif Franklin employs to embody the major mistakes of his life. It also serves as a motif for an opportunity of embracing The Importance of Self-Improvement. At each point that Franklin discusses one of his deemed mistakes, he tends to either revisit that erratum or tells his reader how he moved forward from it.

For example, Franklin breaks his apprenticeship contract with his brother in Part 1—an event he calls the first “Errata”—but he believes he made amends for this by adopting his nephew after his brother’s death in Part 3: “Thus it was that I made my Brother ample Amends for the Service I had depriv’d him by leaving him so early” (96). In this moment, Franklin’s emphasis on his determination to correct his mistakes relates to his constant desire to better himself in all areas of life. Franklin’s text consistently urges his reader to look at ways to enhance oneself as an individual, so he offers an account of his mistakes and corrections to serve as an example for his reader to follow.