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Unit 2: Nonfiction
Biography
Autobiography
Memoir
Biography
• A biography is the story of a person’s life,
written by someone else.
• Biographies are often written about wellknown people.
• Biographies can also be written about littleknown people who have had interesting lives.
• In all cases, biographers must select the best
details to convey what is remarkable about
their subjects.
Primary Sources
• Writers of biographies rely on many sources to
tell the story of a person’s life.
• Primary sources provide first-hand accounts of
the life experiences of the subject.
• Primary sources of information
– are original
– come straight from individuals who
experienced, witnessed, or
participated in an event or activity.
Primary Sources
• Examples of primary sources include
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letters
diaries/journals
interviews
photographs, films, or artwork
genealogy records
autobiographies
business papers
court documents
Secondary Sources
• Primary sources are not the only sources used
to create a biography.
• Secondary sources are second-hand accounts
of the life experiences of the subject.
• Secondary sources are based on the
interpretation and analysis of primary sources.
• Secondary sources are written by people who
are removed from the life experiences of the
subject.
Secondary Sources
• Examples of secondary sources include
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interviews
other biographies
specialized dictionaries
encyclopedias
textbooks
newspaper and magazine
articles
Example of Biography
• To write the biography of world-famous
composer Hikari Oe, author Lindsley Cameron
drew from primary sources, including
– a book written by Hikari’s father
– a memoir written by Hikari’s mother
– interviews with Hikari’s parents and piano teacher
• To see how Cameron wove information from
her interviews with Hikari’s mother into the
biography, go to the next slide.
Example of Biography
Hikari has been hearing music all his life. During her pregnancy,
his mother listened to lots of Mozart. …And after he was born, to alleviate
her depression, she played recordings of the works of her other favorite
classical composers—Chopin and Beethoven, chiefly—over and over.
“When he [Hikari] was a toddler, he loved Western classical music. He
would listen to it for hours, perfectly absorbed. Whenever we wanted some
peace, we’d just put a few symphonies on the record player, and we could
be sure Pooh-chan [Hikari] wouldn’t bother us at all. All that time, I had no
idea how unusual that was.”
—from “Becoming a Composer,”
by Lindsley Cameron
Organization of Biographies
• Biographies are typically organized
chronologically.
– This format allows readers to understand how life
experiences have shaped the individual.
• The chronological format can be seen in
“Becoming a Composer.”
– Cameron uses transitional phrases that move
readers through Hikari’s life.
– Examples include “when he was an infant,” “by
the time he was a toddler,” and “at age eleven.”
Understanding Biographies
• A graphic organizer, such as a Time Line or
Sequence Map, can help readers to better
understand and analyze biographies.
– A Time Line can help readers recognize the
chronological order of the events in the subject’s
life.
– A Sequence Map can help readers follow and
connect those events.
• Consider the sample Sequence Map on the
next slide.
• The Sequence Map below has been
filled out for “Becoming a Composer.”
Hikari’s mother listens
to music while pregnant.
As a toddler, Hikari
loves classical music.
Hikari’s mother teaches
him to play the piano.
Hikari shows that he has
perfect pitch.
Hikari gets a new music
teacher, Ms. Tamura.
Hikari begins to
compose his own music.
Autobiography and Memoir
• An autobiography is the story of a person’s
life, written by that person.
– This written account includes all or most of the
significant experiences of the individual’s life.
• A memoir is also the story of a person’s life,
written by that person.
– This written account extracts and focuses on one
or more significant experiences of the individual’s
life.
Organization of
Autobiography and Memoir
• Like biographies, autobiographies typically
follow chronological order.
• Memoirs, however, may have less structured
organizations. They often use
– flashbacks, which interrupt time sequence and
present events that occurred earlier or in the past
and
– foreshadowing, which provides a clue to events
that will occur in the future or later in the story
Example of Autobiography
• In her autobiography Swimming to Antarctica,
author Lynne Cox uses flashbacks to tell her
story.
– She begins in present time, describing her
treacherous swim across the Bering Sea as it is
happening.
– She then flashes back to her childhood to explain
her early interest in marathon swimming.
• This format builds suspense and keeps readers
wondering if Cox will be successful.
Example of Memoir
• In his memoir “The Teacher Who Changed
My Life,” author Nicholas Gage traces his life
as an immigrant.
• Gage does not always describe the events in
chronological order.
• To keep track of the major events in an
autobiography or memoir, readers can use a
Sequence Map or a Time Line.
• This Time Line outlines the events that
Gage describes in his memoir.
Gage is born
in a Greek
village.
Gage moves
to America to
live with his
father.
1948
1939
Gage’s mother
is killed.
Gage’s essay
about his
family’s
experience
wins a medal.
1957
1949
Gage meets
Marjorie
Hurd, his
mentor and
muse.
Gage becomes
editor of his
high school
paper.
1957
1957
1963
1960
Gage resolves
to one day
write his
mother’s
story.
Gage wins the
Hearst Award
for College
Journalism.
If you were to write an autobiography, what
major events would you want to include? Place
them on the Time Line below.
SUMMARY: Biography,
Autobiography, and Memoir
• Whether they are reading a biography, an
autobiography, or a memoir, readers can
– find out more about a person’s life
– learn more about a person’s character
– gain insight into themselves
and the world around them