Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Benjamin Franklin's "Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America," which is a piece of early American literature that highlights Franklin's criticism of the noble savage hypothesis. The paper examines Franklin's text in light of the noble savage premise and demonstrates the manner in which Franklin deftly avoided falling into the intellectual trap that that premise presented.

From the Paper:

"Benjamin Franklin's "Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America" is an important early American essay on the social and cultural nature of the native people with which Franklin had experience. His commentary on the construction of their societies and their relationships with other people, including Europeans, represents an important document on the perception of native people by the early American settlers. More than that, however, Franklin's descriptions of native life are posed in such a way as to highlight some of the failings of his own Western society, so that his essay could function both as an informative piece and as sharp political and social satire."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Aldridge, A. Owen. "Primitivism in the Eighteenth Century." Dictionary of the History of Ideas. 1 May 2003. 12 Oct. 2006 <http://etext.virginia.edu/cgi-local/DHI/dhi.cgi?id=dv3-73>.
• Franklin, Benjamin. "Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America." Early Americas Digital Archive. 2005. 12 Oct. 2006 <http://mith2.umd.edu/eada/html/display.php?docs=franklin_bagatelle3.xml&action=show>.
• Larson, David M. "Benjamin Franklin." Textbook site for Heath Anthology of American Literature. 12 Oct. 2006 <http://college.hmco.com/english/lauter/heath/4e/students/author_pages/eighteenth/franklin_be.html>.

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