Political philosopher Thomas Jefferson was the third U.S. president. He is credited as the primary author of the Declaration of Independence and was the founder of what would become the modern-day Democratic Party.
Fast Facts:
Born: 1743 in Shadwell, Virginia
Wife: Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson
Died: July 4, 1826, at Monticello
1st U.S. Secretary of State
2nd U.S. Vice President
2nd Governor of Virginia
Founded the University of Virginia
Oversaw the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau(1817 - 1862)
Category: American Literature
Born: July 12, 1817Concord, Massachusetts, United States
Died: May 6, 1862Concord, Massachusetts, United States
SELECTED WORKS BY THIS AUTHOR
*A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Riversnon-fiction
*Heart of Thoreau's Journalsby Henry David Thoreau, Odell Shepard (Editor)journals
*Henry David Thoreau : A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers / Walden; Or, Life in the Woods / The Maine Woods / Cape Codby Henry David Thoreau, Robert F. Sayre (Editor)anthology, non-fiction
*Waldennon-fiction
SELECTED BOOKS ABOUT (or related to) THIS AUTHOR
*Henry David Thoreau: Collected Essays and Poemsby Elizabeth Hall Witherell anthology
*The Cambridge Companion to Henry David Thoreauby Joel Myerson (Editor)guide
*The Days of Henry Thoreauby Walter Harding biography
*The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail: A Playby Jerome Lawrence, Robert Edwin Lee drama
Category: American Literature
Born: July 12, 1817Concord, Massachusetts, United States
Died: May 6, 1862Concord, Massachusetts, United States
SELECTED WORKS BY THIS AUTHOR
*A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Riversnon-fiction
*Heart of Thoreau's Journalsby Henry David Thoreau, Odell Shepard (Editor)journals
*Henry David Thoreau : A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers / Walden; Or, Life in the Woods / The Maine Woods / Cape Codby Henry David Thoreau, Robert F. Sayre (Editor)anthology, non-fiction
*Waldennon-fiction
SELECTED BOOKS ABOUT (or related to) THIS AUTHOR
*Henry David Thoreau: Collected Essays and Poemsby Elizabeth Hall Witherell anthology
*The Cambridge Companion to Henry David Thoreauby Joel Myerson (Editor)guide
*The Days of Henry Thoreauby Walter Harding biography
*The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail: A Playby Jerome Lawrence, Robert Edwin Lee drama
Friday, April 18, 2008
Stephen Crane
Stephen Crane (1871-1900)by Karen Bernardo
Stephen Crane has been called the first modern American writer, and there is good reason for that claim. Born in New Jersey six years after the Civil War, he was descended from a long line of pastors, but he rejected traditional Christianity very early in life. He was undoubtedly a disappointment to his parents on other grounds as well; although he attended Claverack College, the Hudson River Institute, Lafayette College, and Syracuse University, he never graduated from any of them. His fiction, which was distinctly different from anything being published at the time, was initially self-published, and he spent his entire life riddled by debt. Crane’s fiction is frequently considered an American example of the French literary school of naturalism, which holds, among other tenets, that human beings are fundamentally animals without free will. The name naturalism refers to this law of nature under which human beings are believed to operate; a naturalist writer explains man in terms of the hereditary or environmental forces that operate upon him, and disavows any significant effect of man’s will or ambition upon the outcomes of his life. Naturalism, in addition, holds that nothing is good or bad, right or wrong, moral or immoral, it just is. People are not good or evil, simply survivors or victims of the great forces that move them along like motes in the air or dead leaves in a stream. Thus, what will be will be, and there is little anyone can do.Despite this, there is no question that Crane had an enormous sympathy for the poor and downtrodden. This is reflected in novels such as Maggie, Girl of the Streets and one of the short stories discussed here, “The Men in the Storm.” He was also fascinated with the reactions of human beings battling for their lives against overwhelming forces of nature, and we see this illustrated in “The Open Boat.” But he is undoubtedly best known today for his novel The Red Badge of Courage, which powerfully debunked the idea of the glory of war.Crane died in Germany in 1900, desperately poor, his body ravaged by malaria and tuberculosis. He was only twenty-eight years old. Yet, given the fact that his published works were all produced in less than a decade, he left behind an astonishing number of stories and novels -- which deserve to be more widely read today.Would you like to read these works in their entirety?
Stephen Crane has been called the first modern American writer, and there is good reason for that claim. Born in New Jersey six years after the Civil War, he was descended from a long line of pastors, but he rejected traditional Christianity very early in life. He was undoubtedly a disappointment to his parents on other grounds as well; although he attended Claverack College, the Hudson River Institute, Lafayette College, and Syracuse University, he never graduated from any of them. His fiction, which was distinctly different from anything being published at the time, was initially self-published, and he spent his entire life riddled by debt. Crane’s fiction is frequently considered an American example of the French literary school of naturalism, which holds, among other tenets, that human beings are fundamentally animals without free will. The name naturalism refers to this law of nature under which human beings are believed to operate; a naturalist writer explains man in terms of the hereditary or environmental forces that operate upon him, and disavows any significant effect of man’s will or ambition upon the outcomes of his life. Naturalism, in addition, holds that nothing is good or bad, right or wrong, moral or immoral, it just is. People are not good or evil, simply survivors or victims of the great forces that move them along like motes in the air or dead leaves in a stream. Thus, what will be will be, and there is little anyone can do.Despite this, there is no question that Crane had an enormous sympathy for the poor and downtrodden. This is reflected in novels such as Maggie, Girl of the Streets and one of the short stories discussed here, “The Men in the Storm.” He was also fascinated with the reactions of human beings battling for their lives against overwhelming forces of nature, and we see this illustrated in “The Open Boat.” But he is undoubtedly best known today for his novel The Red Badge of Courage, which powerfully debunked the idea of the glory of war.Crane died in Germany in 1900, desperately poor, his body ravaged by malaria and tuberculosis. He was only twenty-eight years old. Yet, given the fact that his published works were all produced in less than a decade, he left behind an astonishing number of stories and novels -- which deserve to be more widely read today.Would you like to read these works in their entirety?
O.Henry
WRITER HERO: O. HENRY by Michail from Smorgon
My hero is O. Henry. Why? There are several reasons, which I will explain in my essay. O. Henry was born on the 11th of September in 1862. His real name is William Sidney Porter. He spent his childhood in the small town of Greensboro. His father was a doctor. He was a clever and kind man. Sometime later, he gave up medicine to become a mechanic. William and his brother grew up with their aunt (his mother died when William was three). When school was over, William took up his uncle’s offer and worked as a helper in a drugstore.
In 1887 William married. His wife’s name was Atoll. Their first child, a boy, died soon after birth. His daughter, Margaret, was born in 1889. After giving birth, Atoll was ill for a long time. She died and left William with a small daughter. Atoll’s parents helped him to raise his daughter. Hardly able to make both ends meet, William always tried to please his daughter. In his self-sacrifice I can feel the writer’s heroism.
In 1907 William married for the second time. His second wife and his daughter, Margaret, were friends. Everything seemed to be alright, but the writer was not in good health. He could no longer work with the same drive. In the summer of 1910 he died.
I admire O. Henry’s literary work. His creativity lasted for eight years and, in that short time, he wrote nearly 400 stories and a novel. O. Henry’s skill is very unusual. Every one of O. Henry’s stories contains some enigmas and you can never figure them out. The writer always surprises me with his perfectly unexpected endings. When I read O. Henry’s stories, my mood improves because every story is full of humor. O. Henry’s humor is noble because, at the root of the writer’s humor, there is a belief in man, love for mankind, and hatred toward everything that destroys life and people. O. Henry’s creativity is very important because his stories teach us goodness and humility, and compel us to think about life and make us better people.
Written by Michail from Smorgon
This story has been submitted by a guest user and does not necessarily represent the views of The My Hero Project or its staff.
Selected works:
CABBAGES AND KINGS, 1904
THE FOUR MILLION, 1906
THE TRIMMED LAMP, 1907
HEART OF THE WEST, 1907
THE VOICE OF THE CITY, 1908
THE GENTLE GRAFTER, 1908
ROADS OF DESTINY, 1909
LO, 1909 (play, with Franklin P. Adams, music by A. Baldwin Sloane)
OPTIONS, 1909
STRICTLY BUSINESS, 1910
WHIRLIGIGS, 1910
LET ME FEEL YOUR PULSE, 1910
THE TWO WOMEN, 1910
SIXES AND SEVENS, 1911
ROLLING STONES, 1912
WAIFS AND STRAYS, 1917
THE COMPLETE WRITING OF O. HENRY, 1918 (14 vols.)
O. HENRYANA, 1920
SELECTED STORIES, 1922 (ed. by Alphonse Smith)
LETTERS TO LITHOPOLIS, FROM O.HENRY TO MABEL WAGNALLS, 1922
POSTSCRIPTS, 1923
THE BEST OF O. HENRY, 1929
MORE OF O. HENRY, 1933
O. HENRY ENCORE, 1936
O. HENRY'S NEW YORK, 1940
THE BEST SHORT STORIES OF O. HENRY, 1945 (ed. by Bennett Cerf and Van H. Cartmell)
THE POCKET BOOK OF O. HENRY, 1948 (ed. by Harry Hansen)
COPS AND ROBBERS, 1948 (ed. by Ellery Queen
COMPLETE WORKS OF O HENRY, 1953 (2 vols.)
O. HENRY WESTERNS, 1961 (ed. by Patrick Thornhill)
THE STORIES OF O. HENRY, 1965 (ed.by Harry Hansen)
FOUR MILLION & OTHER STORIES, 1976
COLLECTED STORIES OF O. HENRY, 1986
THE BEST SHORT STORIES OF O. HENRY, 1994
My hero is O. Henry. Why? There are several reasons, which I will explain in my essay. O. Henry was born on the 11th of September in 1862. His real name is William Sidney Porter. He spent his childhood in the small town of Greensboro. His father was a doctor. He was a clever and kind man. Sometime later, he gave up medicine to become a mechanic. William and his brother grew up with their aunt (his mother died when William was three). When school was over, William took up his uncle’s offer and worked as a helper in a drugstore.
In 1887 William married. His wife’s name was Atoll. Their first child, a boy, died soon after birth. His daughter, Margaret, was born in 1889. After giving birth, Atoll was ill for a long time. She died and left William with a small daughter. Atoll’s parents helped him to raise his daughter. Hardly able to make both ends meet, William always tried to please his daughter. In his self-sacrifice I can feel the writer’s heroism.
In 1907 William married for the second time. His second wife and his daughter, Margaret, were friends. Everything seemed to be alright, but the writer was not in good health. He could no longer work with the same drive. In the summer of 1910 he died.
I admire O. Henry’s literary work. His creativity lasted for eight years and, in that short time, he wrote nearly 400 stories and a novel. O. Henry’s skill is very unusual. Every one of O. Henry’s stories contains some enigmas and you can never figure them out. The writer always surprises me with his perfectly unexpected endings. When I read O. Henry’s stories, my mood improves because every story is full of humor. O. Henry’s humor is noble because, at the root of the writer’s humor, there is a belief in man, love for mankind, and hatred toward everything that destroys life and people. O. Henry’s creativity is very important because his stories teach us goodness and humility, and compel us to think about life and make us better people.
Written by Michail from Smorgon
This story has been submitted by a guest user and does not necessarily represent the views of The My Hero Project or its staff.
Selected works:
CABBAGES AND KINGS, 1904
THE FOUR MILLION, 1906
THE TRIMMED LAMP, 1907
HEART OF THE WEST, 1907
THE VOICE OF THE CITY, 1908
THE GENTLE GRAFTER, 1908
ROADS OF DESTINY, 1909
LO, 1909 (play, with Franklin P. Adams, music by A. Baldwin Sloane)
OPTIONS, 1909
STRICTLY BUSINESS, 1910
WHIRLIGIGS, 1910
LET ME FEEL YOUR PULSE, 1910
THE TWO WOMEN, 1910
SIXES AND SEVENS, 1911
ROLLING STONES, 1912
WAIFS AND STRAYS, 1917
THE COMPLETE WRITING OF O. HENRY, 1918 (14 vols.)
O. HENRYANA, 1920
SELECTED STORIES, 1922 (ed. by Alphonse Smith)
LETTERS TO LITHOPOLIS, FROM O.HENRY TO MABEL WAGNALLS, 1922
POSTSCRIPTS, 1923
THE BEST OF O. HENRY, 1929
MORE OF O. HENRY, 1933
O. HENRY ENCORE, 1936
O. HENRY'S NEW YORK, 1940
THE BEST SHORT STORIES OF O. HENRY, 1945 (ed. by Bennett Cerf and Van H. Cartmell)
THE POCKET BOOK OF O. HENRY, 1948 (ed. by Harry Hansen)
COPS AND ROBBERS, 1948 (ed. by Ellery Queen
COMPLETE WORKS OF O HENRY, 1953 (2 vols.)
O. HENRY WESTERNS, 1961 (ed. by Patrick Thornhill)
THE STORIES OF O. HENRY, 1965 (ed.by Harry Hansen)
FOUR MILLION & OTHER STORIES, 1976
COLLECTED STORIES OF O. HENRY, 1986
THE BEST SHORT STORIES OF O. HENRY, 1994
Autobiography
I was born in July 15th,1988,in Tehran,Iran.I was born in a neuclear family in which I am the third child.I was really spoilt because whatever I wanted to do,I asked for candies,gum & jelly.I was quite dependent to mum;as a result,it was extremely difficult to be seperated & go to school. What's more,I became more jelous &sensitive after my brother's birth.My brother was delivered when I was 6.Soon after,my parents sent me to Shokuh English Institute in order to learn English.At first,it was great,but when it came to dictation in which we had to write the words in English &their meanings in Persian,I was down in the dumps for I knew how to write in English but not in Persian;therefor, I quit the course; nevertheless,my cuorosity led me to learn English again,for my siblings spoke inEnglish& I did'nt understand what they were talking about. When I was 7,my paternal grandma,who lived with us,died.I felt lonely at that time because she was really lovely. God bless her.Then, I went to primary school& passed it successfully-I was thetop student during the 5 years.I was a bit naughty in the secondary school;however,it was not my fault,for some of my classmates who were trying hard to become the top student tuned on in me.Even we had some quarells,which put us into trouble. I would like to mention that I was good at drawing with charcoal.Besides,I was an amateur poet.In the first grade of secondary school,I had 2 teachers whom were sisters.Both were knowledgeable whereas the younger one was more intimate & friendly.She was one of my teachers who I admired.I passed the secondary school admirably.when I went to highb school,I was studying at pre-FCE level.After few months,I was bottled up because was bias & at the same time friendly.I think that he was a nice friend but not a well-behaved teacher.Then,I went to another institude.I could'nt believe my eyes!A handsome,gallant guy who was wearing a gorgous tie entered the classroom & said "Hi"with British accent.He was a polite & authentic teacher.I kept on going to his classes up to the 3rd grade of CAE level.What doomed me to give it up was my hectic program of studying for the enterance exam of university.To be honest,it was my pleasure to be his student.During the time thet I was studying at pre-university,I got familiar with a devoted teacher who was always ready to give me a hand.That year was full of ups & downs, interesting & dull experience.For instance,we concealed the keys of my teacher's silver Xantia because he always had left them in the office & forgotten where he had put them. The other example is trauncy. Whenever we had English class,I used to go home & study the otherlessons. I knew all the points,so attending the class was a waste of time.My sister's wedding party was held while I was preparing for the exam.The funny piont is what occured the next Thursday-I was in an operation room,as a result of being under stress & pressure!!!What heppened exactly was that my Apanthesis had to be removed.Even during the time that I was wearing stiches,I went to school.Every body was jaw-dropped,but I loathed to fall behind the other students.I passed the exam;however,I was'nt satisfied with the way they took the exam.They collected the answersheets an hour early & after 10 minutes,they realized that they had goofed.Any way,every thing was over & I was accepted in Alzahra university in English Literature.When I heard that the classes were planned to start 5 months later,I was over the moon.During that lovely,long break,I recharged my batteries.In addition,I was oferred to work in various istitutes as a part-time teacher;however,I chose one of them & did my best to be a unique teacher from vaious perspectives.At the beginning of the 1st semester,every thing was as easy as ABCs,but day by day,the more we studied,the more we were lack of time.It was unbearably hectic to handle my studies & my responsibilities as a teacher. Recently,I sat for an international exam which is supported by Cambridge university.Although the result is not sent yet,I'm hopeful. Now, I'm up to neck in my studies & my career.And I have been doing my best to keep them in equilibrium.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin: Glimpses of the Man
"If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing." ~ B. FranklinOnline!
America has never forgotten Benjamin Franklin because he did both. He lived these words of wisdom by writing as much as he possibly could and by doing even more. He became famous for being a scientist, an inventor, a statesman, a printer, a philosopher, a musician, and an economist. Today, we honor Ben Franklin as one of our Founding Fathers and as one of America's greatest citizens. Although he was born in Boston, the city of Philadelphia is remembered as the home of Ben Franklin. In Philadelphia, you can find both Ben's gravesite and the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial. You'll also find The Franklin Institute Science Museum.
This quick glimpse at the long life (1706 - 1790) of a complex man is meant to help you learn about Ben Franklin and also to let you see how Ben's ideas are still alive in our world today.
To learn all that you can about the Franklin family, try taking a look at the family tree. To learn even more about Ben Franklin and his world, try taking a look at some recommended resource materials, enrichment activities, and a brief glossary.
Be sure to notice the electricity safety tips that are provided by PECO, Sponsor of "Benjamin Franklin: Glimpses of the Man."
Qutoes
-Be civil to all; serviceable to many: familiar with few; friend to one; enemy to none.
-Fools need advice most, but wise men only are the better for it.
-Ambition has its disappointments to sour us, but never the good fortune to satisfy us. Its appetite grows keener by indulgence and all we can gratify it with at present serves but the more to inflame its insatiable desires.
-Nothing gives an author so much pleasure as to find his works respectfully quoted by other learned authors.
-Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
-Drive thy business; let it not drive thee.
-All human situations have their inconveniences. We feel those of the present but neither see nor feel those of the future; and hence we often make troublesome changes without amendment, and frequently for the worse"
-Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!"
-"Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves."
-Love your enemies, for they tell you your faults.
-God helps them that help themselves.
-Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.
-A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body.
-"He that lives upon hope will die fasting."
-A countryman between two lawyers is like a fish between two cats.
-To be intimate with a foolish friend, is like going tobed with a razor.
-When there's marriage without love, there will be love without marriage.
-"The man who does things makes mistakes, but he doesn't make the biggest mistake of all—doing nothing."
-An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.
GOOD LUCK.
"If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing." ~ B. FranklinOnline!
America has never forgotten Benjamin Franklin because he did both. He lived these words of wisdom by writing as much as he possibly could and by doing even more. He became famous for being a scientist, an inventor, a statesman, a printer, a philosopher, a musician, and an economist. Today, we honor Ben Franklin as one of our Founding Fathers and as one of America's greatest citizens. Although he was born in Boston, the city of Philadelphia is remembered as the home of Ben Franklin. In Philadelphia, you can find both Ben's gravesite and the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial. You'll also find The Franklin Institute Science Museum.
This quick glimpse at the long life (1706 - 1790) of a complex man is meant to help you learn about Ben Franklin and also to let you see how Ben's ideas are still alive in our world today.
To learn all that you can about the Franklin family, try taking a look at the family tree. To learn even more about Ben Franklin and his world, try taking a look at some recommended resource materials, enrichment activities, and a brief glossary.
Be sure to notice the electricity safety tips that are provided by PECO, Sponsor of "Benjamin Franklin: Glimpses of the Man."
Qutoes
-Be civil to all; serviceable to many: familiar with few; friend to one; enemy to none.
-Fools need advice most, but wise men only are the better for it.
-Ambition has its disappointments to sour us, but never the good fortune to satisfy us. Its appetite grows keener by indulgence and all we can gratify it with at present serves but the more to inflame its insatiable desires.
-Nothing gives an author so much pleasure as to find his works respectfully quoted by other learned authors.
-Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
-Drive thy business; let it not drive thee.
-All human situations have their inconveniences. We feel those of the present but neither see nor feel those of the future; and hence we often make troublesome changes without amendment, and frequently for the worse"
-Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!"
-"Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves."
-Love your enemies, for they tell you your faults.
-God helps them that help themselves.
-Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.
-A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body.
-"He that lives upon hope will die fasting."
-A countryman between two lawyers is like a fish between two cats.
-To be intimate with a foolish friend, is like going tobed with a razor.
-When there's marriage without love, there will be love without marriage.
-"The man who does things makes mistakes, but he doesn't make the biggest mistake of all—doing nothing."
-An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.
GOOD LUCK.
How to write an autobiography
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: autobiography
Biography of oneself narrated by oneself. Little autobiographical literature exists from antiquity and the Middle Ages; with a handful of exceptions, the form begins to appear only in the 15th century. Autobiographical works take many forms, from intimate writings made during life that are not necessarily intended for publication (including letters, diaries, journals, memoirs, and reminiscences) to the formal autobiography. Outstanding examples of the genre extend from St. Augustine's Confession
As a literary genre, autobiography, narrating the story of one's own life, is a variation of biography, a form of writing that describes the life of a particular individual. From the point of view of psychoanalysis, autobiography is of interest as the story told by the patient to the analyst and to himself.
Autobiography in the modern sense began as a form of confession (Saint Augustine), even though there are memoirs in classical literature (Xenophon's Anabasis, Julius Caesar's Gallic wars). Such introspective works can be considered attempts at self-analysis before the psychoanalytic discovery of the unconscious. In 1925 Freud wrote An Autobiographical Study, in which the story of his own life merges with that of the creation of psychoanalysis. According to Freud, biographical truth does not exist, since the author must rely on lies, secrets, and hypocrisy (letter to Arnold Zweig dated May 31, 1939). The same is true of autobiography. From this point of view, it is interesting that Freud framed his theoretical victory and the birth of psychoanalysis in terms of a psychological novel.
The function of autobiography is to use scattered bits of memory to create the illusion of a sense of continuity that can hide the anxiety of the ephemeral, or even of the absence of the meaning of existence, from a purely narcissistic point of view. This story constitutes a narrative identity (Ricoeur, 1984-1988) but is self-contained. In contrast, the job of analysis is to modify, indeed to deconstruct, this identity through interpretation. Because the analyst reveals repressed content, he is always a potential spoiler of the patient's autobiographic story (Mijolla-Mellor, 1988).
Although autobiography has been of greater interest to literature (Lejeune, 1975) than to psychoanalysis, a number of psychoanalysts (Wilfred Bion and Marie Bonaparte, among others) have written autobiographies, thus confirming the link between the analyst's pursuit of self-analysis and autobiographical reflection.s (c. AD 400) to Vladimir Nabokov's Speak, Memory (1951).
Tips to write an autobiography:
1)people,places &experience:describe important people,places & experience in your life.The more details you include,the more real & interesting your story will be.
2)scanning your life history:many autobiographies are written in chronological order.It means that the events ina persons life are described in the order in which they took place,starting with the earliest & ending with the most recent.
3)try to make a list of activities that you do during a single day,describe the details & put them in chronological order.
4)read the autobiography of a famous person that you would like to know about her/him.
5)Do your best to write a few paragraphs of your autobiography.
GOOD LUCK.
Biography of oneself narrated by oneself. Little autobiographical literature exists from antiquity and the Middle Ages; with a handful of exceptions, the form begins to appear only in the 15th century. Autobiographical works take many forms, from intimate writings made during life that are not necessarily intended for publication (including letters, diaries, journals, memoirs, and reminiscences) to the formal autobiography. Outstanding examples of the genre extend from St. Augustine's Confession
As a literary genre, autobiography, narrating the story of one's own life, is a variation of biography, a form of writing that describes the life of a particular individual. From the point of view of psychoanalysis, autobiography is of interest as the story told by the patient to the analyst and to himself.
Autobiography in the modern sense began as a form of confession (Saint Augustine), even though there are memoirs in classical literature (Xenophon's Anabasis, Julius Caesar's Gallic wars). Such introspective works can be considered attempts at self-analysis before the psychoanalytic discovery of the unconscious. In 1925 Freud wrote An Autobiographical Study, in which the story of his own life merges with that of the creation of psychoanalysis. According to Freud, biographical truth does not exist, since the author must rely on lies, secrets, and hypocrisy (letter to Arnold Zweig dated May 31, 1939). The same is true of autobiography. From this point of view, it is interesting that Freud framed his theoretical victory and the birth of psychoanalysis in terms of a psychological novel.
The function of autobiography is to use scattered bits of memory to create the illusion of a sense of continuity that can hide the anxiety of the ephemeral, or even of the absence of the meaning of existence, from a purely narcissistic point of view. This story constitutes a narrative identity (Ricoeur, 1984-1988) but is self-contained. In contrast, the job of analysis is to modify, indeed to deconstruct, this identity through interpretation. Because the analyst reveals repressed content, he is always a potential spoiler of the patient's autobiographic story (Mijolla-Mellor, 1988).
Although autobiography has been of greater interest to literature (Lejeune, 1975) than to psychoanalysis, a number of psychoanalysts (Wilfred Bion and Marie Bonaparte, among others) have written autobiographies, thus confirming the link between the analyst's pursuit of self-analysis and autobiographical reflection.s (c. AD 400) to Vladimir Nabokov's Speak, Memory (1951).
Tips to write an autobiography:
1)people,places &experience:describe important people,places & experience in your life.The more details you include,the more real & interesting your story will be.
2)scanning your life history:many autobiographies are written in chronological order.It means that the events ina persons life are described in the order in which they took place,starting with the earliest & ending with the most recent.
3)try to make a list of activities that you do during a single day,describe the details & put them in chronological order.
4)read the autobiography of a famous person that you would like to know about her/him.
5)Do your best to write a few paragraphs of your autobiography.
GOOD LUCK.
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