The Story of America: Essays on Origins Literary Elements

Non-Fiction, History, Secondary research.

"Here he Lyes" is set in Jamestown, France, Italy, and London, England, during the 1600s. "The way to Wealth" spans through Benjamin Franklin's life. It takes place at sea, America and England during the 1700s.

Jill Lepore is the first-person narrator who uses a researcher’s/scholar’s viewpoint.

Critical, analytical, deductive, chronological, scholarly, deconstructive.

Captain John Smith is the major character in “Here He Lyes.” Benjamin Franklin is the main subject in “The Way to Wealth.”

Exposing gaps and inconsistencies in the historical accounts regarding renowned men such as Benjamin Franklin and Captain John Smith.

Jill Lepore focuses on deconstructing the narratives relating to the subjects, which results in the exclusion of climaxes from the essays.

“The Way to Wealth”: Benjamin Franklin foreshadows the plenty of time that one will have after death which will grant him/her sufficient time to sleep. His foreshadowing motivates him to labor relentlessly.

“Here He Lyes”: Edmund Morgan understates the achievements of Jamestown as a colony by equating it to a “fiasco.”

Jill Lepore understates the implication of Benjamin Franklin's proverb ("Early to Bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise") by describing it as 'witless.'

“Here he Lyes”: Historical allusions, allusions to literature, biblical allusions, and allusions to archaeology.
"The Way to Wealth": Biblical allusions, historical allusions, allusions to literature (poetry and proverbs), and biographical allusions.

“Here He Lyes”: Captain Smith’s reported experiences and adventures are highly exaggerated.

“The Way to Wealth”: Benjamin Franklin is portrayed as an archetypal workaholic.

“The Way to Wealth”: Benjamin Franklin’s quest for perfection is paradoxical.

“Here He Lyes”: Captain Jones’ epitaph is paradoxical: it adulates him, yet he is lies have been unearthed.

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“Here He Lyes”: “Africke” denotes Africa. Mortals refer to humans.
“The Way to Wealth”: “Publick” denotes public.

“Here He Lyes”: Jamestown is personified because it is portrayed as having a footprint. Besides, Jamestown is personified in the argument: “Did the Jamestown quadricentennial snatch victory from the jaws of a man who ate his wife.”

“The Way to Wealth”: Benjamin Franklin personifies “the fictional Richard Saunders.”