example of biography literary definition

Literary Devices

Literary devices, terms, and elements, definition of biography.

A biography is a description of a real person’s life, including factual details as well as stories from the person’s life. Biographies usually include information about the subject’s personality and motivations, and other kinds of intimate details excluded in a general overview or profile of a person’s life. The vast majority of biography examples are written about people who are or were famous, such as politicians, actors, athletes, and so on. However, some biographies can be written about people who lived incredible lives, but were not necessarily well-known. A biography can be labelled “authorized” if the person being written about, or his or her family members, have given permission for a certain author to write the biography.

The word biography comes from the Greek words bios , meaning “life” and – graphia , meaning “writing.”

Difference Between Biography and Autobiography

A biography is a description of a life that is not the author’s own, while an autobiography is the description of a writer’s own life. There can be some gray area, however, in the definition of biography when a ghostwriter is employed. A ghostwriter is an author who helps in the creation of a book, either collaborating with someone else or doing all of the writing him- or herself. Some famous people ask for the help of a ghostwriter to create their own autobiographies if they are not particularly gifted at writing but want the story to sound like it’s coming from their own mouths. In the case of a ghostwritten autobiography, the writer is not actually writing about his or her own life, but has enough input from the subject to create a work that is very close to the person’s experience.

Common Examples of Biography

The genre of biography is so popular that there is even a cable network originally devoted to telling the stories of famous people’s lives (fittingly called The Biography Channel). The stories proved to be such good television that other networks caught on, such as VH1 producing biographies under the series name “Behind the Music.” Some examples of written biographies have become famous in their own right, such as the following books:

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow (made even more famous by the musical “Hamilton,” created by Lin-Manuel Miranda)
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder
Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace … One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson

Significance of Biography in Literature

The genre of biography developed out of other forms of historical nonfiction, choosing to focus on one specific person’s experience rather than all important players. There are examples of biography all the way back to 44 B.C. when Roman biographer Cornelius Nepos wrote Excellentium Imperatorum Vitae (“Lives of those capable of commanding”). The Greek historian Plutarch was also famous for his biographies, creating a series of biographies of famous Greeks and Romans in his book Parallel Lives . After the printing press was created, one of the first “bestsellers” was the 1550 famous biography Lives of the Artists by Giorgio Vasari. Biography then got very popular in the 18th century with James Boswell’s 1791 publication of The Life of Samuel Johnson . Biography continues to be one of the best selling genres in literature, and has led to a number of literary prizes specifically for this form.

Examples of Biography in Literature

And I can imagine Farmer saying he doesn’t care if no one else is willing to follow their example. He’s still going to make these hikes, he’d insist, because if you say that seven hours is too long to walk for two families of patients, you’re saying that their lives matter less than some others’, and the idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that’s wrong with the world.

( Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder)

Tracy Kidder’s wonderful example of biography, Mountains Beyond Mountains , brought the work of Dr. Paul Farmer to a wider audience. Dr. Farmer cofounded the organization Partners in Health (PIH) in 1987 to provide free treatment to patients in Haiti; the organization later created similar projects in countries such as Russia, Peru, and Rwanda. Dr. Farmer was not necessarily a famous man before Tracy Kidder’s biography was published, though he was well-regarded in his own field. The biography describes Farmer’s work as well as some of his personal life.

On July 2, McCandless finished reading Tolstoy’s “Family Happiness”, having marked several passages that moved him: “He was right in saying that the only certain happiness in life is to live for others…” Then, on July 3, he shouldered his backpack and began the twenty-mile hike to the improved road. Two days later, halfway there, he arrived in heavy rain at the beaver ponds that blocked access to the west bank of the Teklanika River. In April they’d been frozen over and hadn’t presented an obstacle. Now he must have been alarmed to find a three-acre lake covering the trail.

( Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer)

Jon Krakauer is a writer and outdoorsman famous for many nonfiction books, including his own experience in a mountaineering disaster on Mount Everest in 1996. His book Into the Wild is a nonfiction biography of a young boy, Christopher McCandless who chose to donate all of his money and go into the wilderness in the American West. McCandless starved to death in Denali National Park in 1992. The biography delved into the facts surrounding McCandless’s death, as well as incorporating some of Krakauer’s own experience.

A commanding woman versed in politics, diplomacy, and governance; fluent in nine languages; silver-tongued and charismatic, Cleopatra nonetheless seems the joint creation of Roman propagandists and Hollywood directors.

( Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff)

Stacy Schiff wrote a new biography of Cleopatra in 2010 in order to divide fact from fiction, and go back to the amazing and intriguing personality of the woman herself. The biography was very well received for being both scrupulously referenced as well as highly literary and imaginative.

Confident that he was clever, resourceful, and bold enough to escape any predicament, [Louie] was almost incapable of discouragement. When history carried him into war, this resilient optimism would define him.

( Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand)

Laura Hillenbrand’s bestselling biography Unbroken covers the life of Louis “Louie” Zamperini, who lived through almost unbelievable circumstances, including running in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, being shot down as a bomber in WWII, surviving in a raft in the ocean for 47 days, and then surviving Japanese prisoner of war camps. Zamperini’s life story is one of those narratives that is “stranger than fiction” and Hillenbrand brings the drama brilliantly to the reader.

I remember sitting in his backyard in his garden, one day, and he started talking about God. He [Jobs] said, “ Sometimes I believe in God, sometimes I don’t. I think it’s 50/50, maybe. But ever since I’ve had cancer, I’ve been thinking about it more, and I find myself believing a bit more, maybe it’s because I want to believe in an afterlife, that when you die, it doesn’t just all disappear. The wisdom you’ve accumulated, somehow it lives on.”

( Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson)

Steve Jobs is one of the most famous cultural icons of modern-day America and, indeed, around the world, and thus his biography was eagerly awaited. The author, Walter Isaacson, was able to interview Jobs extensively during the writing process. Thus, the above excerpt is possible where the writer is a character in the story himself, asking Jobs about his views on life and philosophy of the world.

Test Your Knowledge of Biography

1. Which of the following statements is the best biography definition? A. A retelling of one small moment from another person’s life. B. A novel which details one specific character’s full life. C. A description of a real person’s entire life, written by someone else. [spoiler title=”Answer to Question #1″] Answer: C is the correct answer.[/spoiler]

2. Which of the following scenarios qualifies as a biography? A. A famous person contracts a ghostwriter to create an autobiography. B. A famous author writes the true and incredible life story of a little known person. C. A writer creates a book detailing the most important moments in her own life. [spoiler title=”Answer to Question #2″] Answer: B is the correct answer.[/spoiler]

3. Which of the following statements is true? A. Biographies are one of the best selling genres in contemporary literature. B. Biographies are always written about famous people. C. Biographies were first written in the 18th century. [spoiler title=”Answer to Question #3″] Answer: A is the correct answer.[/spoiler]

What Is A Biography? Examples In Literature

Definition of biography.

A biography tells someone’s life story by researching things like documents, records and interviewing people who knew them. The writer is called the biographer and the person whose life they are writing about is called the subject. The main goal is to share what the subject experienced and achieved. It also helps the readers to understand who they were by learning about their personality, experiences and impact on others.

Most biographies follow the order of the subject’s life. It talks about when they were born, grew up, got educated, important people in their life and how their life changed over the time. It explains key events and what influenced who they became. In addition to facts, biographies analyze how history affected the subject and try to understand their character, reasons for things, beliefs and legacy. It looks at the importance of their life.

Common Examples of Biography Subjects

Here are some common examples of subjects that biographies have been written about:

Politicians: Barack Obama and Winston Churchill
Business leaders: Steve Jobs and Bill Gates
Athletes: Michael Jordan and Serena Williams
Entertainers: Oprah Winfrey and Elvis Presley
Writers: J.K. Rowling and Ernest Hemingway
Activists: Martin Luther King Jr. and Susan B. Anthony
Scientists: Albert Einstein and Marie Curie
Historical figures: Abraham Lincoln and Cleopatra

Famous Biographical Works

Here are some famous and influential examples of biographical works:

The Lives of the Caesars (117 AD) by Suetonius – A landmark work of biographical history on the Roman emperors.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965) – The civil rights leader’s powerful personal account of his radicalization.
Truman (1992) by David McCullough – A Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of the US president.
Becoming (2018) by Michelle Obama – The former First Lady’s chart-topping memoir.
Steve Jobs (2011) by Walter Isaacson – The bestselling biography of the Apple co-founder based on unprecedented access.
Becoming (2018) by Michelle Obama – The former First Lady’s memoir broke sales records.
Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels (2011-2015) – This series of semi-autobiographical novels offers rich portraits of two friends growing up in mid-20th century Naples.
Born a Crime (2016) by Trevor Noah – The comedian’s funny yet moving memoir about growing up mixed-race in apartheid South Africa.
Me (2018) by Elton John – The music icon’s candid autobiography was a bestseller.
The Undocumented Americans (2020) by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio – Essays profiling immigrants living without documentation in the US.
Caste (2020) by Isabel Wilkerson – A groundbreaking work comparing the US racial hierarchy to caste systems around the world.
Entangled Life (2020) by Merlin Sheldrake – A unique biography of fungi and their profound role in nature and human civilization.
The Anthropic Podcast – Interviews with AI safety researchers, conducted to document the development of advanced AI.
The Code Breaker (2021) by Walter Isaacson – A biography of Nobel Prize-winning DNA pioneer Jennifer Doudna.

Difference between Biography, Autobiography and Memoir

Here are the main differences between biography, autobiography, and memoir:

Biography: It is written about another person by someone else (the biographer). In biography, the research methods like interviews, archives etc. have been used to study the subject’s life. It aims to give an objective account of the subject’s life and impact from a third-person perspective.

Autobiography: It is written by the subject about their own life. Autobiography retells events from the first-person perspective of the author. It follows a chronological narrative of the author’s life experiences.

Memoir: It is written by the subject about their own life experiences. Memoir typically focuses on a specific period, theme, or important event rather than a comprehensive life story. More subjective and reflective than autobiography, emphasizing personal insights and emotions.

Other differences:

Biographies require research approval from publishers, autobiographies/memoirs do not.
Biographies aim for objectivity while autobiographies/memoirs embrace subjectivity.
Memoirs have more flexibility in structure than strict chronology of autobiographies.
Biographies are often written after the subject’s death while autobiographies/memoirs are written during the author’s lifetime.

Examples of Biography in Literature

“pride and prejudice” by jane austen.

Mr. Bennet was among the earliest of those who waited on Mr. Bingley. He had always intended to visit him, though to the last always assuring his wife that he should not go; and till the evening after the visit was paid she had no knowledge of it. It was then disclosed in the following manner. Observing his second daughter employed in trimming a hat, he suddenly addressed her with:

‘I hope Mr. Bingley will like it, Lizzy.’ ‘We are not in a way to know what Mr. Bingley likes,’ said her mother resentfully, ‘since we are not to visit.’ ‘But you forget, mama,’ said Elizabeth, ‘that we shall meet him at the assemblies, and that Mrs. Long promised to introduce him.’ ‘I do not believe Mrs. Long will do any such thing. She has two nieces of her own. She is a selfish, hypocritical woman, and I have no opinion of her.’ ‘No more have I,’ said Mr. Bennet; ‘and I am glad to find that you do not depend on her serving you.’ Mrs. Bennet deigned not to make any reply, but, unable to contain herself, began scolding one of her daughters.”

In the aforesaid excerpt, Austen introduces Mr. Bennet’s character and family dynamics through his witty remarks and the reactions of his wife. This brief scene provides insight into both Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet as individuals through their discussion revealing aspects of their personalities and marriage. It serves as an example of how biography can be subtly woven into fiction to immerse the reader in the world and relationships of the characters.

“Great Expectations” by Charles Dicken

“My sister, Mrs. Joe Gargery, was more than twenty years older than I, and had established a great reputation with herself and the neighbours because she had brought me up ‘by hand.’ Having at that time to find out for myself what the expression meant, and knowing her to have a hard and heavy hand, and to be much in the habit of laying it upon her husband as well as upon me, I supposed that Joe Gargery and I were both brought up by hand.”

This passage introduces Pip and provides biographical details about his upbringing by his sister Mrs. Joe Gargery through his first-person narration.

“Emma” by Jane Austen

“Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.”

This brief paragraph at the start of the novel establishes the protagonist Emma Woodhouse’s biography and character through a succinct third-person description of her privileged circumstances and pleasant disposition.

“War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy

“Prince Andrew Bolkonsky received a letter from his sister, the lovely Princess Mary, whom two years ago—in 1809—he had left in Moscow and had not seen again since. She wrote…”

This brief passage introduces Prince Andrew and provides context about his relationship and separation from his sister Princess Mary giving biographical details that set the stage for their storyline.

“David Copperfield” by Charles Dickens

“I was born in Blunderstone, in Suffolk, or ‘thereby,’ as they say in Scotland. I was a posthumous child. My father’s name was Copperfield; he was a twelfth cousin of Anthropic, and not anything like him.”

Through the first-person narration of David Copperfield, this excerpt establishes biographical facts about his birthplace, parentage and family connections in a lively engaging manner typical of Dickens’ prose.

“The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald

“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since. ‘Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.'”

This opening passage immediately establishes biographical context about the narrator Nick Carraway and his relationship with his father providing insight into Nick’s upbringing and perspective.

“Mrs. Dalloway” by Virginia Woolf

“Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself. For Lucy had her work cut out for her. The doors would be taken off their hinges; Rumpelmayer’s men were coming. And then, thought Clarissa Dalloway, what a morning – fresh as if issued to children on a beach.”

These first lines subtly introduce Clarissa Dalloway and provide biographical clues about her social class and lifestyle through references to her household staff and high-end florist.