When studying literature, biography and its relationship to literature is often a subject of literary criticism, and is treated in several different forms. Two scholarly approaches use biography or biographical approaches to the past as a tool for interpreting literature: literary biography and biographical criticism. Conversely, two genres of fiction rely heavily on the incorporation of biographical elements into their content: biographical fiction and autobiographical fiction.
A literary biography is the biographical exploration of individuals' lives merging historical facts with the conventions of narrative.[1] Biographies about artists and writers are sometimes some of the most complicated forms of biography.[2] Not only does the author of the biography have to write about the subject of the biography but also must incorporate discussion of the subject-author's literary works into the biography itself.[2][3] Literary biographers must balance the weight of commentary on the subject-author's oeuvre (complete body of works) against the biographical content to create a coherent narrative of the subject-author's live.[2] This balance is interpretively-influenced by the degree of biographical elements inherent in an author's literary works. The close relationship between writers and their work relies on ideas that connect human psychology and literature and can be examined through psychoanalytic theory.[3]
Literary biography may address subject-authors whose oeuvre contains a plethora of autobiographical information and who welcome the biographical analysis of their work. Elizabeth Longford, a biographer of Wilfrid Blunt, noted, "Writers are articulate and tend to leave eloquent source material which the biographer will be eager to use."[4] The opposite may also be the case, some authors and artists go out of their way to discourage the writing of their biographies, as was the case with Kafka, Eliot, Orwell and Auden. Auden said, "Biographies of writers whether written by others or themselves are always superfluous and usually in bad taste.... His private life is, or should be, of no concern to anybody except himself, his family and his friends."[5]
Samuel Johnson's Lives of the Poets (1779–81) was possibly the first thorough-going exercise in biographical criticism.[6]
Biographical criticism is a form of literary criticism which analyzes a writer's biography to show the relationship between the author's life and their works of literature.[7] Biographical criticism is often associated with historical-biographical criticism,[8] a critical method that "sees a literary work chiefly, if not exclusively, as a reflection of its author's life and times".[9]
Like any critical methodology, biographical criticism can be used with discretion and insight or employed as a superficial shortcut to understanding the literary work on its own terms through such strategies as Formalism. Hence 19th century biographical criticism came under disapproval by the so-called New Critics of the 1920s, who coined the term "biographical fallacy"[12][13] to describe criticism that neglected the imaginative genesis of literature.
Biographical fiction is a type of historical fiction that takes a historical individual and recreates elements of his or her life, while telling a fictional narrative, usually in the genres of film or the novel. The relationship between the biographical and the fictional may vary within different pieces of biographical fiction. It frequently includes selective information and self-censoring of the past. The characters are often real people or based on real people, but the need for "truthful" representation is less strict than in biography.
The various philosophies behind biographical fiction lead to different types of content. Some assert themselves as a factual narrative about the historical individual, like Gore Vidal's Lincoln. Other biographical fiction creates two parallel strands of narrative, one in the contemporary world and one focusing on the biographical history, such as Malcolm Bradbury's To the Hermitage and Michael Cunningham's The Hours. No matter what style of biographical fiction is used, the novelist usually starts the writing process with historical research.[15]
Biographical fiction has its roots in late 19th and early 20th-century novels based loosely on the lives of famous people, but without direct reference to them, such as George Meredith's Diana of the Crossways (1885) and Somerset Maugham's The Moon and Sixpence (1919). During the early part of the 20th century this became a distinct genre, with novels that were explicitly about individuals' lives.[15]
Autobiographical fiction, or autofiction, is fiction that incorporates the author's own experience into the narrative. It allows authors to both relay and reflect on their own experience. However, the reading of the autobiographical fiction need not always be associated with the author. Such books may be treated as distinct fictional works.[16]
Autobiographical fiction includes the thoughts and view of the narrator which describes their way of thinking.
Referencesedit
^Benton, Michael (2009). Literary biography: an introduction. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN978-1-4051-9446-4.
^ abBenson, Jackson J. (1989). "Steinbeck: A Defense of Biographical Criticism". College Literature. 16 (2): 107–116. JSTOR 25111810.
^ abKnoper, Randall K. (2003). "Walt Whitman and New Biographical Criticism". College Literature. 30 (1): 161–168. doi:10.1353/lit.2003.0010. Project MUSE 39025.
^Wilfred L. Guerin, A handbook of critical approaches to literature, Edition 5, 2005, page 51, 57-61; Oxford University Press, University of Michigan
^Stuart, Duane Reed (1922). "Biographical Criticism of Vergil since the Renaissance". Studies in Philology. 19 (1): 1–30. JSTOR 4171815.
^http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/criticism "Samuel Johnson's Lives of the Poets (1779–81) was the first thorough-going exercise in biographical criticism, the attempt to relate a writer's background and life to his works."
^Lees, Francis Noel (1967) "The Keys Are at the Palace: A Note on Criticism and Biography" pp. 135-149 In Damon, Philip (editor) (1967) Literary Criticism and Historical Understanding: Selected Papers from the English Institute Columbia University Press, New York, OCLC 390148
^Discussed extensively in Frye, Herman Northrop (1947) Fearful Symmetry: A Study of William Blake Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, page 326 and following, OCLC 560970612
^ abMullan, John (30 April 2005). "Heavy on the source John Mullan analyses The Master by Colm Tóibín. Week three: biographical fiction". The Guardian.
^"Melvyn Bragg on autobiographical fiction". The Sunday Times. 8 February 2009. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
Works citededit
Backscheider, Paula R. (1999). Reflections on biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN0-19-818641-X. OL 42046M.
Jeffrey Meyers, ed. (1985). The Craft of Literary Biography. London: MacMillan. ISBN0-333-37348-0.
biography, literature, when, studying, literature, biography, relationship, literature, often, subject, literary, criticism, treated, several, different, forms, scholarly, approaches, biography, biographical, approaches, past, tool, interpreting, literature, l. When studying literature biography and its relationship to literature is often a subject of literary criticism and is treated in several different forms Two scholarly approaches use biography or biographical approaches to the past as a tool for interpreting literature literary biography and biographical criticism Conversely two genres of fiction rely heavily on the incorporation of biographical elements into their content biographical fiction and autobiographical fiction Contents 1 Literary biography 2 Biographical criticism 3 Biographical fiction 4 Autobiographical fiction 5 References 5 1 Works cited 6 Further readingLiterary biography editA literary biography is the biographical exploration of individuals lives merging historical facts with the conventions of narrative 1 Biographies about artists and writers are sometimes some of the most complicated forms of biography 2 Not only does the author of the biography have to write about the subject of the biography but also must incorporate discussion of the subject author s literary works into the biography itself 2 3 Literary biographers must balance the weight of commentary on the subject author s oeuvre complete body of works against the biographical content to create a coherent narrative of the subject author s live 2 This balance is interpretively influenced by the degree of biographical elements inherent in an author s literary works The close relationship between writers and their work relies on ideas that connect human psychology and literature and can be examined through psychoanalytic theory 3 Literary biography may address subject authors whose oeuvre contains a plethora of autobiographical information and who welcome the biographical analysis of their work Elizabeth Longford a biographer of Wilfrid Blunt noted Writers are articulate and tend to leave eloquent source material which the biographer will be eager to use 4 The opposite may also be the case some authors and artists go out of their way to discourage the writing of their biographies as was the case with Kafka Eliot Orwell and Auden Auden said Biographies of writers whether written by others or themselves are always superfluous and usually in bad taste His private life is or should be of no concern to anybody except himself his family and his friends 5 Well received literary biographies include Richard Ellmann s James Joyce and George Painter s Marcel Proust 2 5 Biographical criticism editThis section is an excerpt from Biographical criticism edit nbsp Samuel Johnson s Lives of the Poets 1779 81 was possibly the first thorough going exercise in biographical criticism 6 Biographical criticism is a form of literary criticism which analyzes a writer s biography to show the relationship between the author s life and their works of literature 7 Biographical criticism is often associated with historical biographical criticism 8 a critical method that sees a literary work chiefly if not exclusively as a reflection of its author s life and times 9 This longstanding critical method dates back at least to the Renaissance period 10 and was employed extensively by Samuel Johnson in his Lives of the Poets 1779 81 11 Like any critical methodology biographical criticism can be used with discretion and insight or employed as a superficial shortcut to understanding the literary work on its own terms through such strategies as Formalism Hence 19th century biographical criticism came under disapproval by the so called New Critics of the 1920s who coined the term biographical fallacy 12 13 to describe criticism that neglected the imaginative genesis of literature Notwithstanding this critique biographical criticism remained a significant mode of literary inquiry throughout the 20th century particularly in studies of Charles Dickens and F Scott Fitzgerald among others The method continues to be employed in the study of such authors as John Steinbeck 7 Walt Whitman 8 and William Shakespeare 14 Biographical fiction editSee also Biographical novel and Biographical film Biographical fiction is a type of historical fiction that takes a historical individual and recreates elements of his or her life while telling a fictional narrative usually in the genres of film or the novel The relationship between the biographical and the fictional may vary within different pieces of biographical fiction It frequently includes selective information and self censoring of the past The characters are often real people or based on real people but the need for truthful representation is less strict than in biography The various philosophies behind biographical fiction lead to different types of content Some assert themselves as a factual narrative about the historical individual like Gore Vidal s Lincoln Other biographical fiction creates two parallel strands of narrative one in the contemporary world and one focusing on the biographical history such as Malcolm Bradbury s To the Hermitage and Michael Cunningham s The Hours No matter what style of biographical fiction is used the novelist usually starts the writing process with historical research 15 Biographical fiction has its roots in late 19th and early 20th century novels based loosely on the lives of famous people but without direct reference to them such as George Meredith s Diana of the Crossways 1885 and Somerset Maugham s The Moon and Sixpence 1919 During the early part of the 20th century this became a distinct genre with novels that were explicitly about individuals lives 15 Autobiographical fiction editMain articles Autofiction and Autobiografiction See also Autobiographical novel and Autobiographical comics Autobiographical fiction or autofiction is fiction that incorporates the author s own experience into the narrative It allows authors to both relay and reflect on their own experience However the reading of the autobiographical fiction need not always be associated with the author Such books may be treated as distinct fictional works 16 Autobiographical fiction includes the thoughts and view of the narrator which describes their way of thinking References edit Benton Michael 2009 Literary biography an introduction Chichester Wiley Blackwell ISBN 978 1 4051 9446 4 a b c d Backschneider 11 13 a b Karl Frederick R Joseph Conrad in Meyers ed The Craft pp 69 88 Longford Elizabeth Wilfrid Scawen Blunt of Meyers ed The Craft pp 55 68 a b Meyers Jeffrey Introduction in Meyers ed The Craft pp 1 8 Criticism a b Benson Jackson J 1989 Steinbeck A Defense of Biographical Criticism College Literature 16 2 107 116 JSTOR 25111810 a b Knoper Randall K 2003 Walt Whitman and New Biographical Criticism College Literature 30 1 161 168 doi 10 1353 lit 2003 0010 Project MUSE 39025 Wilfred L Guerin A handbook of critical approaches to literature Edition 5 2005 page 51 57 61 Oxford University Press University of Michigan Stuart Duane Reed 1922 Biographical Criticism of Vergil since the Renaissance Studies in Philology 19 1 1 30 JSTOR 4171815 http encyclopedia2 thefreedictionary com criticism Samuel Johnson s Lives of the Poets 1779 81 was the first thorough going exercise in biographical criticism the attempt to relate a writer s background and life to his works Lees Francis Noel 1967 The Keys Are at the Palace A Note on Criticism and Biography pp 135 149 In Damon Philip editor 1967 Literary Criticism and Historical Understanding Selected Papers from the English Institute Columbia University Press New York OCLC 390148 Discussed extensively in Frye Herman Northrop 1947 Fearful Symmetry A Study of William Blake Princeton University Press Princeton New Jersey page 326 and following OCLC 560970612 Schiffer James ed Shakespeare s Sonnets Critical Essays 1999 pp 19 27 40 43 45 47 395 a b Mullan John 30 April 2005 Heavy on the source John Mullan analyses The Master by Colm Toibin Week three biographical fiction The Guardian Melvyn Bragg on autobiographical fiction The Sunday Times 8 February 2009 Retrieved 9 June 2011 Works cited edit Backscheider Paula R 1999 Reflections on biography Oxford Oxford University Press ISBN 0 19 818641 X OL 42046M Jeffrey Meyers ed 1985 The Craft of Literary Biography London MacMillan ISBN 0 333 37348 0 Further reading editDale Salwak ed 1996 The Literary Biography Basingstoke Hampshire Macmillan ISBN 978 0333626399 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Biography in literature amp oldid 1171326569 Literary biography, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
