Reading Response for "The Way to Wealth," by Benjamin Franklin
This selection is little more than a collection of Benjamin Franklin's proverbs from "Poor Richard's Almanac." That being said, there is an immense amount of wisdom and wit contained in this reading.
The whole piece relates to the subject of wealth - the gaining and the keeping. The many pithy quotes can be summarized as follows: Work hard, live within your means, and don't get into debt - if you do these things, you will be successful in life. The saying, "A ploughman on his legs is higher than a gentleman on his knees," gives honor to the diligent, working-class man, but takes it away from the wealthy man who has fallen prey to idleness and debt.
The particular saying, "At the working man's house hunger looks in, but dares not enter," seems reasonable and good, but based on the problems afflicting the working poor, as evidenced in Ehrenreich's study, we know it may not be this simple. Has our modern American system warped our view of hard work and the reward it should bring?
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