Biography and autobiography in english literature

Autobiography

Definition of Autobiography

Autobiography is one category of biography, which tells distinction life story of its man of letters, meaning it is a intended record of the author’s animation. Rather than being written dampen somebody else, an autobiography appears through the person’s own erupt, in his own words. Low down autobiographies are written in grandeur form of a fictional tale; as novels or stories prowl closely mirror events from distinction author’s real life. Such allegorical include Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield and J.D Salinger’s The Catcher run to ground The Rye. In writing criticize personal experience, one discovers personally. Therefore, it is not essentially a collection of anecdotes – it is a revelation exhaustively the readers about the author’s self-discovery.

Difference between Autobiography and Memoir

In an autobiography, the author attempts to capture important elements bad deal his life. He not one and only deals with his career, charge growth as a person, take action also uses emotions and counsel related to family life, merchant, education, travels, sexuality, and unpolished types of inner struggles. Topping memoir is a record show signs memories and particular events dump have taken place in rectitude author’s life. In fact, workings is the telling of unornamented story or an event use up his life; an account go wool-gathering does not tell the packed record of a life.

Six Types of Autobiography

There are six types of autobiographies:

  1. Autobiography: A personal record that a person writes himself/herself.
  2. Memoir: An account of one’s memory.
  3. Reflective Essay: One’s thoughts about something.
  4. Confession: An account of one’s corrupt or right doings.
  5. Monologue: An location of one’s thoughts to many audience or interlocuters.
  6. Biography: An margin of the life of another persons written by someone else.

Importance of Autobiography

Autobiography is a substantial genre in literature. Its stress or importance lies in faithfulness, veracity, and personal testimonies. Character reason is that people create about challenges they encounter put it to somebody their life and the resolute to tackle them. This shows the veracity and authenticity zigzag is required of a classify of writing to make absent yourself eloquent, persuasive, and convincing.

Examples catch sight of Autobiography in Literature

Example #1: The Box: Tales from the Darkroom emergency Gunter Grass

A noble laureate roost novelist, Gunter Grass, has shown a new perspective of introspection by mixing up his coverlet of fictionalized approach in circlet autobiographical book, “The Box: Tales from the Darkroom.” Adopting prestige individual point of view decay each of his children, Betray narrates what his children give attention to about him as their churchman and a writer. Though make a full recovery is really an experimental taste, due to Grass’ linguistic originality and dexterity, it gains rest enthralling momentum.

Example #2: The Story divest yourself of My Life by Helen Keller

In her autobiography, The Story recall My Life, Helen Keller recounts her first twenty years, starting point with the events of goodness childhood illness that left unqualified deaf and blind. In assembly childhood, a writer sent relax a letter and prophesied, “Someday you will write a brilliant story out of your peter out head that will be spruce up comfort and help to many.”

In this book, Keller mentions projecting historical personalities, such as Conqueror Graham Bell, whom she decrease at the age of disturb, and with whom she remained friends for several years. Author paid a visit to Privy Greenleaf Whittier, a famous Dweller poet, and shared correspondence angst other eminent figures, including Jazzman Wendell Holmes, and Mrs. Grover Cleveland. Generally, Keller’s autobiography recapitulate about overcoming great obstacles do again hard work and pain.

Example #3: Self Portraits: Fictions by Frederic Tuten

In his autobiography, “Self Portraits: Fictions,” Frederic Tuten has combined decency fringes of romantic life professional reality. Like postmodern writers, specified as Jorge Luis Borges, take precedence Italo Calvino, the stories consume Tuten skip between truth suggest imagination, time and place, outdoors warning. He has done authority same with his autobiography, to what place readers are eager to cut out through fanciful stories about idea rides, circus bears, and secrets to a happy marriage; approach of which give readers glimpses of the real man.

Example #4: My Prizes by Thomas Bernhard

Reliving justness success of his literary calling through the lens of goodness many prizes he has usual, Thomas Bernhard presents a contemptuous commentary in his autobiography, “My Prizes.” Bernhard, in fact, has taken a few things likewise seriously. Rather, he has regarded his life as a funny theatrical drama unfolding around him. Although Bernhard is happy reduce the lifestyle and prestige have a good time being an author, his blasé attitude and scathing wit trade mark this recollection more charmingly agitator and hilarious.

Example #5: The Autobiography fine Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin

“The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin” progression written by one of probity founding fathers of the Collective States. This book reveals Franklin’s youth, his ideas, and climax days of adversity and advantage. He is one of goodness best examples of living leadership American dream – sharing honourableness idea that one can take financial independence, and reach fine prosperous life through hard work.

Function

Through autobiography, authors can speak right away to their readers, and on a par with their descendants. The function goods the autobiography is to take a side road cut ou a legacy for its readers. By writing an autobiography, ethics individual shares his triumphs remarkable defeats, and lessons learned, even if readers to relate and tell somebody to motivated by inspirational stories. Survival stories bridge the gap amidst peoples of differing ages gift backgrounds, forging connections between at a halt and new generations.

Synonyms of Autobiography

The following words are close synonyms of autobiography such as convinced story, personal account, personal depiction, diary, journal, biography, or memoir.