Benjamin Franklin Character Analysis in Lafayette in the Somewhat United States

Benjamin Franklin, often remembered as one of the most eccentric Founding Fathers, was also a crucial figure in wartime diplomacy between the United States and France. While negotiating for more aid from King Louis XVI, Franklin would often dress as farmer with a fur cap, presenting a narrative of America as a place of folksy, pastoral virtue. This skillful self-presentation was only one of many ways in which Franklin demonstrated his prowess as a negotiator.

Benjamin Franklin Quotes in Lafayette in the Somewhat United States

The Lafayette in the Somewhat United States quotes below are all either spoken by Benjamin Franklin or refer to Benjamin Franklin . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Democracy, Disagreement, and Compromise Theme Icon

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As for Lafayette becoming a Freemason: one did not have to be an orphaned only child to be predisposed to joining a mysterious brotherhood with snazzy secret handshakes, but it didn’t hurt. Famous Freemason Benjamin Franklin set of the group, “While each lodge is created from individual members and while individuality is treasured, lodges are designed to be sociable and to encourage mutual works.” What a perfect arrangement for Lafayette, who harbored contradictory ambitions to both fit in and stick out.

Related Characters: Sarah Vowell (speaker), Benjamin Franklin (speaker), Marquis de Lafayette

Page Number and Citation: 34

Explanation and Analysis:

Benjamin Franklin Character Timeline in Lafayette in the Somewhat United States

The timeline below shows where the character Benjamin Franklin appears in Lafayette in the Somewhat United States. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...democratic thought on both sides of the ocean. In the colonies, both Washington and Benjamin Franklin were Masons. In France, important Enlightenment philosophers developed their theories of government and human rights... (full context)

...of America’s folksy strength; Washington eventually wore a homespun suit to his inauguration. And Ben Franklin went even further, wearing a simple fur cap to all of his fancy French meetings... (full context)

Landscape and Historical Memory Theme Icon

That folksiness was not enough to shield Franklin from the news that the Patriots were about to lose Philadelphia to the Redcoats. Though... (full context)

To formalize the alliance, Louis XVI invited Benjamin Franklin—still dressed like a farmer—to the showy palace at Versailles. Vowell points out the irony in... (full context)

...caught smuggling information about Washington’s plans to the Redcoats. A panicked Washington wrote to Ben Franklin in France to persuade Franklin to ask for further French reinforcements. Franklin expressed Washington’s anxiety... (full context)

...of the Franco-American Treaty of Alliance. Upon learning of this breach of trust from Ben Franklin, Vergennes fretted that “we shall be but poorly paid for all that we have done... (full context)