Question
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is divided into four parts and documents Franklin’s life from 1771 to 1790.
My elder brothers were all put apprentices to different trades. I was put to the grammar-school at eight years of age, my father intending to devote me, as the tithe of his sons, to the service of the Church. My early readiness in learning to read (which must have been very early, as I do not remember when I could not read), and the opinion of all his friends, that I should certainly make a good scholar, encouraged him in this purpose of his. My uncle Benjamin, too, approved of it, and proposed to give me all his short-hand volumes of sermons, I suppose as a stock to set up with, if I would learn his character. I continued, however, at the grammar-school not quite one year, though in that time I had risen gradually from the middle of the class of that year to be the head of it, and farther was removed into the next class above it, in order to go with that into the third at the end of the year.
Question 1
Part A
What effect does the phrase “would learn his character" have on the meaning of this passage?
Responses
It indicates he would train in his uncle's profession.
It indicates he would train in his uncle's profession.
It suggests that he is not talking about a real person.
It suggests that he is not talking about a real person.
It implies that his uncle has an unusual personality.
It implies that his uncle has an unusual personality.
It proposes he will read his uncle's sermons.
It proposes he will read his uncle's sermons.
Question 2
Part B
How does the phrase “would learn his character" contribute to the passage’s tone?
Responses
It creates a sense of regret.
It creates a sense of regret.
It shows a feeling of disgust.
It shows a feeling of disgust.
It reveals frustration.
It reveals frustration.
It conveys amusement.
My elder brothers were all put apprentices to different trades. I was put to the grammar-school at eight years of age, my father intending to devote me, as the tithe of his sons, to the service of the Church. My early readiness in learning to read (which must have been very early, as I do not remember when I could not read), and the opinion of all his friends, that I should certainly make a good scholar, encouraged him in this purpose of his. My uncle Benjamin, too, approved of it, and proposed to give me all his short-hand volumes of sermons, I suppose as a stock to set up with, if I would learn his character. I continued, however, at the grammar-school not quite one year, though in that time I had risen gradually from the middle of the class of that year to be the head of it, and farther was removed into the next class above it, in order to go with that into the third at the end of the year.
Question 1
Part A
What effect does the phrase “would learn his character" have on the meaning of this passage?
Responses
It indicates he would train in his uncle's profession.
It indicates he would train in his uncle's profession.
It suggests that he is not talking about a real person.
It suggests that he is not talking about a real person.
It implies that his uncle has an unusual personality.
It implies that his uncle has an unusual personality.
It proposes he will read his uncle's sermons.
It proposes he will read his uncle's sermons.
Question 2
Part B
How does the phrase “would learn his character" contribute to the passage’s tone?
Responses
It creates a sense of regret.
It creates a sense of regret.
It shows a feeling of disgust.
It shows a feeling of disgust.
It reveals frustration.
It reveals frustration.
It conveys amusement.
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
**Question 1 Part A**
The phrase “would learn his character" primarily **indicates he would train in his uncle's profession.** This suggests that Franklin's uncle wanted him to learn shorthand as a skill to prepare him for a career in the church, which aligns with Franklin's father's wishes for him to become a scholar.
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**Question 2 Part B**
The phrase “would learn his character" contributes to the passage’s tone by **conveying amusement.** The use of "character" in this context can suggest a playful or light-hearted aspect of learning something new and ties into the broader narrative of Franklin's aspirations and the expectations placed upon him, making it somewhat amusing to read about the earnest family intentions for his education.
The phrase “would learn his character" primarily **indicates he would train in his uncle's profession.** This suggests that Franklin's uncle wanted him to learn shorthand as a skill to prepare him for a career in the church, which aligns with Franklin's father's wishes for him to become a scholar.
---
**Question 2 Part B**
The phrase “would learn his character" contributes to the passage’s tone by **conveying amusement.** The use of "character" in this context can suggest a playful or light-hearted aspect of learning something new and ties into the broader narrative of Franklin's aspirations and the expectations placed upon him, making it somewhat amusing to read about the earnest family intentions for his education.