Autobiography
Autobiography
Autobiography (/ɔːtoʊbaɪˈɒɡrəfi/; from the Greek, αὐτός-autos self + βίος-bios life + γράφειν-graphein to write) is a self-written account of the life of oneself. The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English periodical The Monthly Review, when he suggested the word as a hybrid, but condemned it as "pedantic".
Definition
An autobiography is a written account of a person's life written by the person themselves. Unlike a biography, which is a life history written by another person, an autobiography offers a first-person perspective on the individual's life.
History
The earliest example of an autobiography in the English language is considered to be Confessions by Augustine of Hippo, but the tradition of the written self-portrait extends back to antiquity. Notable examples from the medieval period include The Book of Margery Kempe and The Life of Saint Teresa of Avila.
Types of Autobiographies
There are several types of autobiographies, including:
- Spiritual Autobiographies: These are accounts of an individual's spiritual journey, such as The Confessions by Augustine of Hippo.
- Intellectual Autobiographies: These focus on the development of the author's mind and thought processes, such as The Education of Henry Adams.
- Confessional Autobiographies: These are deeply personal and often discuss the author's struggles and shortcomings, such as Confessions by Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
Related Terms
- Memoir: A memoir is a type of autobiography that focuses on specific events or periods in the author's life, rather than the entirety of their life.
- Diary: A diary is a record of events, transactions, or observations kept daily or at frequent intervals. It can be seen as a form of autobiography, as it is a personal account of one's life.
- Autobiographical Novel: An autobiographical novel is a form of novel using autofiction techniques, or the merging of autobiographical and fictive elements.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Autobiography
- Wikipedia's article - Autobiography
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