The written accounts of peoples lives have always been a source of inspiration, knowledge, and understanding of history and human experiences. Two common forms of such literary works are biography and autobiography. While they both delve into the lives of individuals, there are significant differences between the two genres. In this article, we will explore the dissimilarities between biography and autobiography, understanding their definitions, characteristics, and significance as unique forms of storytelling.
Table of Contents
The main difference between Biography and Autobiography is that a biography is a written account of a persons life written by someone else, while an autobiography is a written account of a persons life written by the individual themselves.
Below is a table highlighting the possible differences between a Biography and an Autobiography:
Aspect
Biography
Autobiography
Authorship
Written by someone else about a persons life
Written by the person about their own life
Perspective
Third-person narrative
First-person narrative
Source of Information
Relies on research, interviews, and records
Based on the authors memory
While an autobiography and a biography both tell the story of someone’s life, they are not the same thing. When a person writes his or her own life story, the finished work is an autobiography. When an author writes a book about another person’s life, the result is a biography.
Key Biography vs. Autobiography Differences
While there are some similarities between biographies and autobiographies, there are several notable differences between the two types of books.
Authorship: Who writes the book is the primary difference between an autobiography and a biography. An autobiography is always written by the person the book is about. A biography is always written by someone other than the subject of the book.
Point of View: An autobiography is usually written in first person point of view (I, me, my) since the book is about the author’s own experiences. A biography is typically written in third person point of view (she, her, hers, he, him, his) since the author is describing someone else’s experiences.
Authorized vs. Unauthorized: Authorized means that the book is written with the permission and cooperation of the person the book is about, while unauthorized mean
Difference between Biography and Autobiography
The two traditional forms of literature that describe the character sketch and course of the life of a person are biography and autobiography. Biography is the life history of an individual, written by someone else, whereas the autobiography is an expression of a persons life, written by self.
Both of these two presents the view of, what happened in the past where the author lived. These are non-fiction books, written in chronological order, tells a story about the person who made a significant contribution in a specific field. Many think that the two writing forms are one and the same thing, but there are noticeable difference between the two, that are presented in the given article.
Content: Biography Vs Autobiography
Comparison Chart
Definition
Key Differences
Video
Conclusion
Comparison Chart
Basis for Comparison
Biography
Autobiography
Meaning
Biography refers to an account that tells someone else's life story.
Autobiography means an account that tells your life story.
Authorization
Can be written, with or without the authorization of the subject.
Not required
Written in
Third person
First
Biography, Autobiography, Memoir? Whats the difference?
Caption: Royd Hatta's grandfather sitting on his new car (s Ford Model A?) with his son Shigeru. Royd's grandmother stands with her daughter, May, who passed away a year or so after this picture was taken.
The terms autobiography, biography, and memoir are occasionally used interchangeably by the public, but they are three distinct, if similar, genres of nonfiction.
Though there are nuances to each genre we can begin to understand each with the analogy of distance:
A biography attempts to illustrate a person's life story from an outsider's point of view. Imagine viewing the subject from feet away.
An autobiography is when the actual person who lived that life tells their own life story with the advantage of providing insights that only she or he can provide. Imagine YOU telling your story as it is, with your own thoughts and commentary.
A memoir, similar to an autobiography, may dive deeper still into our memories by employing literary devices such as a particular theme, symbolism, and lyricism.
The Biography
A biography is a retelling and description of a person’s life, be they a
Biographies you may also like
Brabrand kierkegaard biography Soren Kierkegaard’s works are here arranged chronologically by publication date. The list is limited to the first editions of Kierkegaard's works, published by him during his .
Andrew jackson biography movie on marilyn monroe “The film is about the meaning of Marilyn Monroe and why she endured,” director Andrew Dominik says. Here’s some of what's fact and fiction in the critically divisive “Blonde”.
Amanda byrams biography In her debut book, TV presenter and wellness warrior, Amanda Byram, opens up about how decades of destructive dieting and the pressures to be perfect finally forced her to make The .
Short biography of pope gregory i definition Pope Gregory I, also known as Gregory the Great, served as the Bishop of Rome from to AD. He is celebrated as one of the most influential popes in the history of the Missing: definition.
Meagan tandy biography Meagan Tandy is an Indian film actress, who has worked predominantly in the Hollywood.
Abdullah al andalusi biography of michael In this city among all these pious people, was one Abu Abdullah Al-Andalusi (rah), who had thirty khanqahs (spiritual retreats) in Baghdad. In addition he was a well-known scholar and Missing: michael.
T ara korean band biography generator T-ARA (Korean: 티아라; pronounced as Tiara) is a girl group formed by Mnet Media in Prior to their debut, they released their first song for Cinderella Man OST in Missing: biography generator.