Benjamin Franklin Houses And Selves Summary

The author starts his essay with his thesis statement stating that “the writings of Benjamin Franklin offer only meager representations of his inner life.” And then continues to list a few of his main arguments within the next few pages, claiming the “...the correlation between houses and selves is a matter of proximity and experience…”. In addition to this he argues that “... we can learn [a] good deal… by examining one of the most significant moments in his [Franklin’s] life: the building and furnishing of his house on Market Street in Philadelphia”. Then the author continues to give us an introduction his the supporting evidence that he gives in the rest of his essay.

Cahill’s first main point of evidence is in a quote from Dell Upton where he argues ‘‘The navigation of everyday spaces, the ordinary, unexceptional sites of most of our sensory and intellectual experience, is the primary arena within which selfhood . . . and personhood . . . are forged.’’ In talking

about the importance of a house and claiming that it is where within one’s selfhood is forged. He uses examples of modern European cultures to state how the idea that a house can produce a self has even held true until today, being a representation of one’s own unique circumstances, habits, needs, and desires. This is one of the most significant themes that occurs through the essay where the author continues to provide evidence in how Franklin’s house had played an excruciatingly important role in forging his self.
Throughout Cahill’s work he uses support of the symbolism of furniture as Franklin had seen it. In one case he tells about a 1727 letter in which Franklin writes to his favorite sister, Jane, about “his decision to give her a gift recognizing her recent engagement”. At first Franklin thought about getting her a tea-table “having heard she is a celebrated beauty”. As tea tables symbolized ”both polite leisure and dubious tendency toward idleness and luxury”. But rather Franklin had decided on a spinning wheel, as “a spinning wheel is not only more useful than a tea table, but also sends a better message…” as the spinning wheel “promotes both virtue and the appearance of virtue”.
The main form of support Cahill used was citing things from Franklin’s own letters, many of which were sent between his wife, Deborah, who had stayed in Philadelphia while Benjamin had gone to Europe.

This makes up the most significant part of Cahill’s article in which he calls “to seem at home”, when talking about the 24 years that Franklin attempted to be remotely apart of his house. Cahill summaries these by talking about how Franklin had sent home many luxuries, directly after the Stamp Act of 1765 was repealed, with detailed instructions on how he would like them to bet set up in his house. Following the instructions, Franklin had requested of his wife to give him a very detailed description of the house to make him feel at home. Cahill emphasizes the latter part by stating that Franklin had many feelings of “mild regrets at his absence and nonparticipation in the house’s affairs”. Using Franklin’s own words Cahill showed us how much Franklin had treasured his house, even while across the

sea.
To further build support, Cahill Immediately tell us of how Deborah’s response to this had rather than attempted to make Franklin seem at home but instead emphasize his absence. For example when describing Franklin’s bedchamber she notes how the pictures remain unhung because she had not driven any nails in case they would not be right. And she also goes into detail about how his friends were now criticizing here over some arrangements and that she had told them that all things would be right should Franklin come home. This hints at the lonely role that she is left in and how she refuses to share his enthusiasm. In another letter Deborah says how their son Billy didn’t like the blue room, Franklin’s favorite room which he considered the best room in the house, knowing that Franklin cherished his son’s opinion very much. In which Franklin's response was to send more luxurious decorations with more instructions on how to decorate the room, many of which had shown Franklin’s experience in the matter, and to get to work on it immediately. All of which supports how important a role Benjamin Franklin’s interiors had played determining his self.
Throughout his article Cahill had claimed that Franklin’s house played a huge role in developing his personal being and throughout this essay we have seen all of the different forms of evidence Cahill had used to support evidence for this. All of which had fully supported his final claim stating that “Franklin’s house had became the center for some of Philadelphia’s most important political, scientific, and social gatherings.” This is extremely relevant to this class because not only because it gives us depth into the great founding father Benjamin Franklin, but because it gives us insight into how life was in the early colonial days of Philadelphia.