Biography
A biography is writing about someone鈥檚 life. If someone is writing about their own life it becomes an autobiography. Biography and autobiography might focus on a specific part of someone鈥檚 life and experiences.
A biography is usually written both to inform and to entertain. This means it is a mix of factual information and creative writing. Often biographies are of famous people, eg singers, models or sports personalities. However, sometimes biographies of ordinary people who aren鈥檛 well known can be interesting because of an extraordinary experience that they鈥檝e had, such as surviving against the odds or doing something heroic.
Example
This is the opening paragraph of Claire Tomalin鈥檚 biography of Charles Dickens, the novelist. The young man she is describing is Dickens, aged 37.
14 January 1840, London. An inquest is being held at Marylebone Workhouse, a muddled complex of buildings spread over a large area between the Marylebone Road and Paddington Street. The Beadle, a parish officer responsible for persuading householders to do their duty as People who decide whether someone is 鈥榞uilty鈥 or 鈥榥ot guilty.鈥 at such A legal investigation, like a court case trial, where evidence is examined., has assembled twelve men. Most of them are middle-aged local tradesmen, but one stands out among them as different. He is young and slight, smartly dressed and good-looking, neither tall nor short at five foot nine inches, with dark hair falling in curls over his forehead and collar. He is a new resident who has just moved into a fine airy house with a large garden, close to Regent鈥檚 Park at York Gate: it is No. 1 Devonshire Terrace, from which the Beadle has made haste to summon him to his duty.
Charles Dickens, Claire Tomalin
Analysis
How does Tomalin, the writer of this extract, introduce us to Charles Dickens?
- The extract begins by raising questions for the reader 鈥 why is there an inquest? How will Dickens be involved?
- The focus then shifts to the jury where 鈥渙ne stands out鈥, suggesting that he doesn鈥檛 fit in 鈥 and is more significant than the others. The writer creates suspense, as we don鈥檛 know whether this man is Dickens yet.
- Due to the close focus on this character, the reader may make the connection to his being Charles Dickens.
- The writer lists details, eg 鈥渟martly dressed鈥 and 鈥渇ine airy house鈥. The A describing word. 鈥渟martly鈥 and 鈥渇ine鈥 imply that he is quite wealthy.
- Descriptive language, eg 鈥済ood-looking鈥 with 鈥渄ark hair falling in curls over his forehead鈥 present Dickens in a romantic way, like the main character in a story.