Benjamin Franklin is one of the most popular and most widely acclaimed persons in the history of America. His practical wit and undeniable charm make him endearing; his realistic intelligence and strong commitment to middle-class virtues like thrift and industry make him commendable. To most people he is the epitome of "the first American".
"Rules by Which a Great Empire May Be Reduced to a Small One" was published in Sept. 1773. The book is actually a cynical, very strong execration of Britain. It depicts the grievances felt by the Americans during the period. The British were referred to as devilish.
"Rules by Which a Great Empire May Be Reduced to a Small One"is a satire aimed at England during the prelude to the American Revolution. When the British Parliament passed the Tea Act (1773), which put the colonial merchants to a disadvantage, Franklin made his protests known by writing a series of finely honed political essays denouncing British policies toward America. Thus, "Rules by Which a Great Empire May Be Reduced to a Small One"and the "An Edict by the King of Prussia" came to existence. Franklin grew frustrated with the British leaders' ignorance of America and arrogant attitude toward the colonies. As these satires were circulated in England, in a letter Franklin wrote to his sister, he said: "I have held up a Looking-Glass in which some of the Ministers may see their ugly faces, and the Nation its Injustice.”
Like any good satirist, Franklin utilizes several biting and ironic twists to set the tone of his essay. The simile of the cake serves to play down the confusing situation and the British empire. Thus, it mocks the stupidity of the mother country. He opens with some degree of subtlety - an allusion to the distant Roman emperor Nero - that gradually lessens as the essay progresses. Subtlety is replaced by a more direct approach. The direct attacks become more apparent towards the end or at the last paragraph. The biting prose made specific references to the Quartering Act and the inciting of mobs finally serve as a verbal slap to the object of his ridicule.
Rules by which a Great Empire May be Reduced to a Small One, is one of a series of pieces which Franklin intended to calm the rising tensions between Britain, the colonizers and America. At the same time, the book serves as a warning to the British of the possible consequences which their hard stance would elicit from the colonies.
References:
Benjamin Franklin. (2006). Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved on April 7, 2006 from
crystalinks.com/franklin.html
Alan Houston. (2006). Franklin: The Autobiography and other Writings on Politics, Economics, and Virtue. Retrieved on April 7, 2006 from
www.cambridge.org
