The Way To Wealth

At the beginning of the essay, Benjamin Franklin, via his alter-ego Poor Richard, addresses his audience directly. With this direct address, Franklin is employing apostrophe as a way to capture the reader’s attention, to add emotional depth and drama to the essay, and to bring to life the audience reading the essay. He addresses the reader as “Courteous Reader” (1) using a formal and complimentary adjective to invite the reader to engage with his writing. Franklin continues the essay in the first person, a literary decision that enhances the intimacy of the communication Franklin hopes to deliver to his audience. The friendliness of this literary device is intentional, as Franklin hopes to improve the lives of his readers with his simple and unpretentious pieces of advice. As well, Franklin demonstrates an awareness that without such friendliness of tone, his advice may be disregarded as presumptuous and overreaching.

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.