AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL GENRES Memoir vs Biography Introduction to The
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL GENRES Memoir vs. Biography Introduction to The Color of Water Ms. Iacullo
BIOGRAPHY v History of a lifetime – Must cover entire life v Most important facts and events of someone’s life v Contains anecdotes, memories, trips and cherished moments v Is about another person
MEMOIR: THE COW v Autobiographical writing v Captures certain highlights or meaningful moments in one’s past v Contemplation of the meaning of that event at the time of the writing of the memoir v Much more emotional and connects the writer to someone or something that had and impact on their life
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MEMOIR FORM v. Focus on a brief period of time or series of related events v. Narrative structure (storytelling elements like setting, plot, imagery, characterization, foreshadowing/flashback, and irony and symbolism) v. Fictional quality v. Higher emotional level/more personal reconstruction of the events and their impact
MEMOIRS – ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE v Explores an event or series of related events that remain lodged in memory v Describes the events and then shows, either directly or indirectly why they are significant v Focused in time (not long) v Focuses on problem/conflict and its resolution and why the resolution is significant in your life
WHY WE READ MEMOIRS… BECAUSE GOOD READERS… v Make connections v Question v Visualize v Infer v Synthesize v …and these things expose essential truths and help us evaluate our own lives and the world around us!
GOOD READERS Make connections to books or works they read by: 1. Connect books they read by connecting it to another book (text-to-text) 2. Connect to something in their own life (text to self) 3. Connect to something in the world (text to world)
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