THE biography it is a textual genre which aims to narrate significant events in a person's life, whether of a great personality or of an ordinary person. Biography, as a textual genre, emerged during the Classical Civilizations, that is, in the Greece and on Ancient Rome. Despite this, historians are aware of small passages written by older peoples (such as the Egyptians) that highlight facts of their leaders, which could be configured as a biographical text.
The word “biography” comes from the Greek language and is formed by the terms BIOS(life and graphein(write). Historians believe that the philosopher Damascus was responsible for creating the term to refer to this textual genre, which is nothing more than the writing that narrates the events of someone's life.
Biography Features
Generally speaking, a biography contains the following characteristics:
It's a text like narrative;
The events are, in general, narrated in a chronological;
can be written in third or in first person (autobiography).
An important point about the characteristics of a biography is that it is not limited to the narration of events personal/intimate, but develops an analysis of how the actions influenced or were influenced by the events of the time when the person lived.
Therefore, a biography of adolf hitler, for example, it is not just about the narration of his intimate life, about his childhood, what he worked with when he was young, what he studied or with whom he had an affective relationship. This biography also comprises an analysis of how the context in which Hitler was inserted made him the leader of Germany and the forerunner of a ideology responsible for the deaths of millions of people.
As we mentioned, a biography need not refer specifically to personalities who have done great things or who have been in positions of power and influence. A biography can also cover stories about the lives of ordinary people, as Italian historian Carlo did. Ginzburg when he recounted the life of Domenico Scandella, a simple miller who ended up being accused of heresy by the Inquisition in the 16th century.
See too: Differences between review and summary
How to make a biography?
The elaboration of a biography requires in-depth study about the person and the time in which he/she lived. This study can be conducted from a literature search through, for example, the analysis of documents (personal or not). If there are people alive who know or knew the biographed, the interviews can also be of great value to reconstitute elements that were left out.
With all the research work carried out, the author of the biography must transmit the knowledge acquired for writing, addressing the issues you consider relevant, such as place of birth, information about childhood and youth, tastes personal, etc.
Types of biographies
Biographical texts may differ from each other in terms of narrative focus (first or third person) and in terms of their length. Thus, we can mention the following types:
Biography: made from a deep documentary study about the life and times of a specific person. Example: Hitler, by Kershaw.
Autobiography: in it, the author talks about himself, narrating the most important events of his life or focusing on a specific experience. Example: Zlata's Diary, by Zlata Filipovic.
Minibiography: this is a summary of someone's life. This type of biography is mostly found in books with little information about the authors.
Read too: Are there types of dissertations?
Examples of biographies
Here at Brasil Escola, you will find a series of biographical texts about the lives of countless personalities. Below are some examples for you to consult:
Biography of Galileo Galilei
Biography of Maria Quitéria
Biography of Pablo Escobar
Biography of Luís Carlos Prestes
By Daniel Neves
Graduated in History
