Benjamin Franklin’s Short Story, ‘Alice Addertongue’

A hilarious sendup on how vicious gossip can ruin relationships.
Benjamin Franklin’s Short Story, ‘Alice Addertongue’
Benjamin Franklin poses as Alice Addertongue to satirize scandalous gossip. “The Friendly Gossips,” 1901, by Eugene de Blaas. Art Renewal
Kate Vidimos
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Conversation thrives when friends and family gather. It fills the room and echoes against the walls.

In his short story, “Alice Addertongue,“ Benjamin Franklin shows the need for constructive, positive, and kind words. Writing to a local gazette under the pseudonym ”Alice Addertongue,” Franklin satirically praises slander and its benefits. In doing so, he demonstrates how it ruins people and why it should be avoided.
Kate Vidimos
Kate Vidimos
Author
Kate Vidimos holds a bachelor's in English from the liberal arts college at the University of Dallas and is currently working on finishing and illustrating a children’s book.
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