Ben+Franklin

= The Whistle = = By: Benjamin Franklin =

Summary: __The Whistle__ by Benjamin Franklin is a telling of the way humans interact and think. In the text, a story is told about a young child who traded all his money for a whistle. Upon returning home, his brothers and sisters made fun of him for obtaining the whistle for more than what it was worth. The child learned from this lesson and observed throughout his life others that have given too much for their whistle. The text abstractly then describes different people and the way they live showing that they have given too much for their whistle.

Excerpts: “…told me I had given four times as much for it as it was worth.” This line from __The Whistle__ was the part of the text that made the most sense and is the base for understanding what is said in the rest of the story. After reading the whole story I read this line again and everything, including the examples of what the main character had witnessed during their life made a lot more sense. “We might all draw more good from it than we do, and suffer less evil, if we would take care not to give too much for whistles.” This part tells the reader the position that the narrator is in. After witnessing all the times in his life that he has seen people give too much for their whistle, he has concluded that the world and our lives would be better or at least contain less suffering if we took the time to think about our actions and not give too much for our whistle. I think this line is important because it pulls the whole story together and gives it a purpose. “When I see a beautiful, sweet-tempered girl married to an ill-natured brute of a husband, What a pity, say I, that she should pay so much for a whistle.” This is one of the events that the narrator witnessed and tells about in __The Whistle.__ In this example, a beautiful sweet girl that has so much marries a man that is so much less than her. She gave up her life and the possibility of marrying someone who deserves all her qualities for a man that doesn’t deserve her. She in this case gave too much for her whistle; her life could be spent with a better man and she married someone with far less qualities. This can be tied in with her husband being the whistle and she being the money; she spent herself for more than the whistle, her husband is worth.

Reflection: While the beginning of __The Whistle__ was a little confusing the way it started out, I overall enjoyed the story. Once I read the entire story, I went back and read the beginning again and it all made sense. This story has a good meaning behind it and makes you stop and think about your own life and times you may or may not have spent too much for your whistle. This text was not like a traditional story, but more of a clip of someone’s life. The examples or events that were given supported the author’s idea well of times that he or others spent too much for their whistle. I can’t say as I would have chosen to read this piece of literature if I saw it on a shelf or laying somewhere, but through this exploration of American authors it came my way and I am glad that I read it. It has given me a different perspective on events by relating them to a simple childhood mistake of trading all your money for a whistle that is worth far less.