Remarks Concerning the Savages of North-America

Franklin Mind Changing Techniques
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Franklin Mind-Changing Techniques
In this essay, Benjamin Franklin is out to challenge the White settlers’ 18th-century opinion that Native Americans (Indians) are uncivilized. In the 1700s, White Settlers viewed Native Americans as savages because they had unique cultures, different from theirs’. Similarly, Indians conjectured that White Settlers were savages because of their actions. Therefore, Franklin argues that it was wrong for White Settlers to call Indians “savages” because of their different culture. Franklin uses a rhetorical structure, fluctuating styles of tone, and intellectual word choice to convince the reader that White Settlers were, indeed, “savages”, not Indians.
Franklin’s text is organized in a way that evokes irony in the Europeans’ use of the word “savages.” Using politeness as the major term, Franklin compares Indian’s manners with manners of White Settlers and, uncovers that White Settlers were more impolite than Indians. As an example, Franklin explains that in the Indian council it is illegal to interject when a person is speaking, and people keep that norm. In the British House of Common, by contrast, the interruption of a speaker is a common practice. A reader of this piece will find this fact as a sufficient reason to put Indians ahead when it comes to civility.
Franklin uses an earnest tone to show deep sincerity in his claim. For example, Franklin says, “…if we examine manners.

.. []…with impartiality, we should find no one so rude..” (2014). Evidently, this is an earnest tone, and with it, Franklin aims to validate his standpoint and convince the reader. He also employs both critical and assertive tones to disprove the White Settlers’ view of “savages” and to argue authoritatively that Europeans were the real “savages.” Moreover, Franklin’s use of words, such as ‘politeness,’ ‘slavish,’ ‘decency,’ and ‘obedience’ when referring to Indians and word’s ‘loquacity,’ ‘rude,’ and ‘confusion’ when referring to Europeans helps the understanding who the savage is between the two.
In summation, Franklin is not happy when with how White Settlers used to Native Americans savages. As a result, in his essay, he uses a rhetorical structure, fluctuating styles of tone, and intellectual word choice changes readers’ minds about savages.

Reference
Franklin, B. (2014). Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America” 1784. The Heath Anthology of American Literature, 754-758.