The conversation on the content regarding prisoner autobiographies has resulted in a growing body of literature. In recent years narratives have gained ascendance in psychology and sociology as well, such that they now occupy a vital role in theories of social life (Presser 2009). There have been studies done on this topic from philosophers such as Michele Foucault. The literature points to the positive effect that these prisoner autobiographies can be used to grasp a better understanding of the…
Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the autobiography of Maya Angelou, is filled with many experiences that shape and mold Maya Angelou into the literary powerhouse known today. The fact that Maya Angelou fearlessly wrote an autobiography she shows the audience that she has confidence in herself and that she likes to defeat social norms because autobiographies are known for being dreadfully boring. The autobiography also includes large uses of humor and the examples of human influences, for the…
Meta Y. Harris, “Chapter 3: Black Women Writing Autobiography: Autobiography in Multicultural Education”, Narrative & Experience in Multicultural Education, SAGE Publications, 2005. https://www.corwin.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/4977_Phillion_I_Proof_2_Chapter_3.pdf This work is a chapter is featured in the larger publication “Narrative & Experience in Multicultural Education” which discusses topics and raises questions about the ways in which diversity and democracy is taught, can be…
In Frederick Douglass’s Autobiography, “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”, he documents his experience as an American slave. His autobiography was published during the abolition movement to end slavery in the United States. Douglass’s life story showed the power of persuasion to influence society to see the impact of slavery. In this essay, I will exhibit Douglass’s use of imagery, pathos, and syntax that helped alter the view of slavery towards the American people. Douglass’s use of…
Individual versus Society Many forms of literature discuss the theme of the individual versus society. The Autobiography of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass and Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad are examples of literature that contain this theme. Both of these works provide evidence that expresses how an individual is shaped by society. The Autobiography of Frederick Douglass and Heart of Darkness express how different societies expect certain traits from an individual, and how an…
Anne Basting investigates the narrative construction in three autobiographies written by individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. Two of the narratives follow a linear structure, which has one “self” as the narrative. The third narrative is structured liked a journal. Basting is interested in particular looking at one’s self through the written narrative. The first narrative, Living in the Labryinth, follows Diana McGowin in her life before and after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Her…
his respect from success, and these virtues were used by Franklin in everything he did to succeed. In Ben Franklin’s The Autobiography, he writes his list of virtues of which he followed in his life to become successful, some of theses virtues were order, industry, and silence; these virtues had a large effect on him and his success and they also effected…
achieved international fame as an inspiring writer and persuasive speaker (Foner and Garraty). The first work to Douglass’ career as an abolitionist, and some may argue was his most influential, was to write his first autobiography. Two other autobiographies followed. His first autobiography named: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave was…
Autobiography is considered to be the best mode of expression of author’s personal experiences: sorrows, pains, sufferings as well as joys. As a genre of literature autobiographies bring personal accounts of author’s life to public domain. Roy Pascal thinks “Autobiography is the achievement of art which explores the intuitive knowledge of some unique experience.”(Pascal, 1960: 186) The tradition of writing autobiographies was confined to unique and extraordinary experiences of some famous elites…
Autobiography of a Face and Wonder by R.J. Palacio are books that are similar and different in many ways. One major similarity is that the main characters in both books, Lucy and Auggie, both have a facial disorder. Their faces have syndromes which make them look separate from their classmates. Consequently, both of them were bullied at school for their faces. Kids would sometimes “make fun of me, run past me, knock me that off, and call me baldy” (119). Auggie received the same type of bullying…