Definition of Biography
A biography is simply an account or detailed
description about the life of a person. It entails basic facts, such as
childhood, education, career, relationships, family, and death. Biography is a
literary genre that portrays the experiences of all these
events occurring in the life of a person, mostly in a chronological order.
Unlike a resume or profile, a biography provides a life story of a subject, highlighting different aspects of his of her life. A
person who writes biographies, is called as a “biographer.”
Types of Biography
There are three types of
biography:
Autobiography
An autobiography tells
the story of a person’s own life. While that person writes his own account, he
or she may take guidance from a ghostwriter or collaborator.
Biography
A biography narrates the life
story of a person, as written by another person or writer. It is further
divided into five categories:
- Popular biography
- Historical biography
- Literary biography
- Reference biography
- Fictional biography
Memoir
This is a more focused writing
than an autobiography or a biography. In a memoir,
a writer narrates the details of a particular event or situation that occurred
in his or her lifetime.
Function of Biography
The function of writing biographies is to provide
details regarding the life of a person or a thing in an entertaining but
informative manner. By the end of a biography, readers feel like they are
well-acquainted with the subject. Biographies are often non-fictional, but many
biographers also use novel-like format, because a story line
would be more entertaining with the inclusion of strong exposition, rising conflict, and then climax. Besides, the most inspirational life stories could
motivate and put confidence into the readers.
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