What is the main idea of the sentence from Benjamin Franklin’s The Autobiography?
"But, on the whole, though I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far short of it, yet I was, by the endeavor, a better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it."
A. Franklin feels that he has been very close to perfection and will continue to work for it. B. Franklin never attains perfection but feels he has grown through his efforts. C. Franklin’s efforts fall short because he is not ambitious or hard-working enough. D. Franklin feels he is a happier and more accepting man without being perfect.
I believe the correct answer is B. Franklin never attains perfection but feels he has grown through his efforts. He says he was quite ambitions about him achieving perfection - he worked hard at it, wanted to obtain it, but ultimately couldn't because no man is perfect. However, he understands that this trial was important for him because it made him a better and happier man - if he didn't strive for perfection, he might never have changed like that.
