Literary notes about Autobiography (AI summary)
The term "autobiography" in literature has long signified more than just a chronological account of a life—it embodies a self-fashioning narrative that blends personal memory, introspection, and artistry. In various texts, the use of "autobiography" highlights its dual role as both a factual record and a creative interpretation of the self. For instance, Nietzsche’s musings hint at an ironic or playful anticipation of a "clever autobiography" ([1], [2]), while Jefferson’s frequent references to Thurlow Weed’s autobiography underscore its function as an intimate historical record ([3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13], [14]). Authors like Mill and Wilde further explore the genre not only as a repository of personal details but also as a medium through which art and philosophy merge ([15], [16], [17], [18], [19], [20], [21]). Similarly, autobiographies by figures such as Helen Keller and Paramahansa Yogananda use the form to combine personal narrative with broader cultural or spiritual insights ([22], [23], [24], [25], [26], [27], [28]). Together, these examples illustrate how the genre invites both reflection and critique, making each autobiography a unique window into the complexities of self-representation in literature.
- We are promised an autobiography of Richard Wagner; who doubts but that it would be a clever autobiography?
— from The Genealogy of Morals by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche - We are promised an autobiography of Richard Wagner; who doubts but that it would be a clever autobiography?
— from The Genealogy of Morals by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche - Autobiography of Thurlow Weed , p. 361.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - Autobiography of Thurlow Weed , p. 421.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - Autobiography of Thurlow Weed , p. 423.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - Autobiography of Thurlow Weed , p. 391.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - Autobiography of Thurlow Weed , Vol. 1, p. 103.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - Autobiography of Thurlow Weed , p. 137.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - Autobiography of Thurlow Weed , p. 86.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - Autobiography of Thurlow Weed , p. 307.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - Autobiography of Thurlow Weed , p. 332.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - Autobiography of Thurlow Weed , p. 110.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - Autobiography of Thurlow Weed , p. 309.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - In his autobiography, Thurlow Weed says he "had never known a body of men who possessed so much power and used it so well."
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - Yes; autobiography is irresistible.
— from Intentions by Oscar Wilde - an instructive page in the Autobiography , p. 252.
— from On Liberty by John Stuart Mill - We live in an age when men treat art as if it were meant to be a form of autobiography.
— from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde - [4] Autobiography , pp.
— from On Liberty by John Stuart Mill - [2] Autobiography , p. 190.
— from On Liberty by John Stuart Mill - Finally, the pages of the Autobiography ring with the dithyrambic praise of his "almost infallible counsellor."
— from On Liberty by John Stuart Mill - [1] Mill gives us abundant help in this matter in the Autobiography .
— from On Liberty by John Stuart Mill - " The elder Tagore, Devendranath, known far and wide as "Maharishi," was a very remarkable man, as one may discover from his Autobiography .
— from Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda - Miss Keller's autobiography contains almost everything that she ever intended to publish.
— from The Story of My Life by Helen Keller - The task of writing an autobiography is a difficult one.
— from The Story of My Life by Helen Keller - Autobiography of a Yogi CREDITS About the online edition.
— from Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda - "The autobiography of Helen Keller is unquestionably one of the most remarkable records ever published."— British Weekly.
— from The World I Live In by Helen Keller - In this chapter of my autobiography I have obeyed my guru's behest and spread the glad tiding, though it confound once more an incurious generation.
— from Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda - No one can have read Miss Keller's autobiography without feeling that she writes unusually fine English.
— from The Story of My Life by Helen Keller