Narrative Typology: Biography and Autobiography | Active Summary

Objectives

1.  Clearly understand the differences between biographies and autobiographies, identifying the textual and contextual nuances that distinguish them.

2.  Develop analytical skills to recognize whether a biography is told by the person themselves or by a third party, through the identification of specific clues in the text.

Contextualization

Did you know that the oldest known biography is that of Gilgamesh, a Sumerian king from around 2700 B.C.? This narrative not only documents the life and deeds of the king but also incorporates mythical and supernatural elements. Since then, biographies and autobiographies have played a crucial role in understanding history and culture. Through these narratives, we can not only learn about the achievements of individuals but also better understand the social, political, and cultural contexts of different eras. Get ready to dive into the fascinating world of life narratives and discover how each story is unique and revealing!

Important Topics

Biography

A biography is the narrative of a person's life written by another person. Generally, biographies are based on extensive research and interviews to capture the essence and significant events of the biographee's life. They provide an objective and often critical view, reflecting the biographer's perspective on the biographee.

• Written by a third party, not by the person themselves.

• Based on research and interviews to ensure accuracy and depth.

• Offers a critical view, not necessarily a personal perspective.

Autobiography

An autobiography is a narrative of a person's life written by themselves. This type of text is personal and subjective, reflecting the author's memories, perceptions, and emotions regarding the events of their life. Autobiographies are often used to convey lessons or inspire, as the author has full control over the narrative.

• Written by the person themselves, offering an internal and subjective perspective.

• Expresses the author's memories, perceptions, and emotions.

• Frequently used to inspire or convey life lessons.

Textual Differences

A careful textual analysis can reveal whether a text is a biography or an autobiography. Biographies often use the third person, while autobiographies use the first person. The tone and writing style can also differ, with biographies tending to be more formal and objective, and autobiographies more personal and emotional.

• Use of first person in autobiographies and third person in biographies.

• Differences in tone and style between the two types of narratives.

• Identification of textual clues that indicate the type of narrative.

Key Terms

• Biography: Narrative of a person's life written by another.

• Autobiography: Narrative of a person's life written by themselves.

• Life Narrative: Literary genre that describes the history of a person's life.

To Reflect

• How can the author's perspective (biographee or biographer) influence the interpretation of events narrated in a biography?

• In what way might the choice between a biography and an autobiography alter the public's reception of the story?

• What are the ethical challenges of writing a biography or autobiography, considering that different versions of the story may arise?

Important Conclusions

• Today, we explored the fascinating differences between biographies and autobiographies, understanding how each offers a unique perspective on a person's life. We learned that biographies are written by third parties and tend to be more objective, while autobiographies are narrated by the person themselves, offering a subjective and personal view.

• We discussed how the choice between a biography and an autobiography can influence the interpretation of events, and how different perspectives can enrich our understanding of life stories.

• We recognized the importance of developing critical skills to analyze texts and identify contextual clues that help us classify a narrative as a biography or autobiography.

To Exercise Knowledge

1. Logbook: Choose a meaningful day from your life and write about it. Try to capture your thoughts, feelings, and actions in detail. Then, rewrite the same day, but this time as if you were a journalist writing a report about yourself. Compare the two versions and discuss the differences in perspective.
2. Fictional Interview: Imagine you are a famous person and grant an interview to a journalist. Write the questions you would like to be asked and answer them as if you were that celebrity. Then, ask a friend to read and discuss whether your answers reflect the personality you envisioned.
3. Story Creation: Choose a historical figure and write two texts: one that is a traditional biography and another that is an imagined autobiography of that person. Try to keep the historical facts correct, but show how perspective can change the narrative.

Challenge

 Literary Detective Challenge: Choose a biography or autobiography of your choice and write a paragraph highlighting the textual clues that reveal whether it is a biography or an autobiography. Share this paragraph with a friend and see if they can guess the type of narrative just from your text!

Study Tips

• When reading biographies and autobiographies, pay attention to pronoun usage. Biographies use 'he/she', while autobiographies use 'I'. This can help identify the type of narrative.

• Explore different genres of biographies, such as comic book biographies or biographies in novel form, to see how the form of the narrative can affect our perception of events.

• Discuss with your friends or family about your life stories. This can help understand how different perspectives can arise from common events and prepare you to analyze life narratives of others.