Abstract
An examination of the autobiography "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano," and the slave psychology that Equiano does not entirely abandon. This is evident even though his autobiography is meant as an antislavery polemic.

From the Paper
In 'The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano' written by Himself, Olaudah Equiano purportedly offers the experiences of his own life as a means of legitimating his social protest against the slave trade even as he fails to fully abandon the psychology of slavehood, which may be partly explained by research showing that the autobiography may not be factual. Over the course of his narrative Equiano's double consciousness as slave and as free man surfaces in complex and ultimately troubling ways. There is tacit evidence from the..."

Tags:Olauda Equiano, antislavery, autobiography, slave narrative, abolitionism, ethnic identity, factitious narrative

Abstract
The paper relates that autobiography involves the individual who is the subject of the work telling his or her own story in his or her own words. The paper explains that it is generally assumed that the subject of the autobiography has indeed written the story personally, though this is not always the case, especially in the modern media era. The paper then discusses how the art of storytelling is a separate issue, involving the shaping of a narrative to develop characters, describe a plot, guide the reader through time, and reach some thematic conclusion.

From the Paper
"Autobiography involves the individual who is the subject of the work telling his or her own story in his or her own words. It is generally assumed that the subject of the autobiography has indeed written the story personally, though this is not always the case, especially in the modern media era. Still, that is the idea inherent in the autobiography. The art of storytelling is a separate issue, involving the shaping of a narrative to develop characters, describe a plot, guide the reader through time, and reach some thematic conclusion. The two impulses are unified when the author of the autobiography has to face the need not just to recount the details of the story but to shape that story to be interesting and..."

Tags:autobiography, storytelling, writing

Abstract
The paper provides a review of the life of Fukuzawa Yukichi, a notable Japanese educator and reformer-visionary (1835-1901) and prolific writer. The paper looks at his "The Autobiography of Fukuzawa Yukichi - an Individual" arguing that he was first and foremost an unique personality, his abilities and dedication to Meiji modernization clear even to his enemies.

From the Paper
"This volume has long been considered a classic towards understanding different currents in the history of Meiji and modern Japan. (1980) It is readable from the very first page and most readers will take to the unique voice that permeates the entire book, although Yukichi Fukuzawa (1835-1901) dictated his memoirs to a relation in 1897, as were translated into English by the narrator's grandson. Fukuzawa was born into the lower samurai clan of his father, Fukuzawa Hyakusuku, Samurai of the Okudaira clan on the island of Kyushu. His mother was the eldest daughter of..."

Tags:fukuzawa y, autobiography, personality

Abstract
This paper discusses the characters Stesichorus, Geryon, Geryoneis, and Herakles from Ann Carson's "Autobiography of Red", explaining their alter egos in mythology.

From the Paper
"Ann Carson's "Autobiography of Red" features the names Stesichorus, Geryon, Geryon's red dog Geryoneis and Herakles. Carson did not invent these figures, they have a reality outside her fiction. Stesichorus, for example, was a ...th-century poet whose name means chorus master. Inspired by Homer, he specialized in long narrative poems having mythological themes and wrote similar stories such as "The Wooden Horse" and "The Capture of Troy". Stesichorus is said to have been struck blind for writing a..."

Tags:Ann Carson, Autobiography of Red, Stesichorus, Geryon, Geryoneis, Herakles

Abstract
It is the purpose of this paper to outline how Ben Franklin had distanced himself from the puritan writers and, while maintaining some of their sensibilities, wrote an autobiography that reads like a manual for life.

Tags:SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY / SCIENCE HISTORY (DISCOVERIES, THEORIES), benjamin franklin's autobiography

Abstract
The paper examines the societal context in Richard Wright's "Black Boy" and F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" and focuses on the conventions of autobiography as a literary device.

From the Paper
"First person storytellers use conventions of autobiography such as descriptions and details of family life, parents and siblings, friends and neighbors, school anecdotes and memories of the social conventions of the day to create the setting and ambiance for their stories and-in some cases-to contribute to the making of their point. In "The Great Gatsby", for example, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the conventions of autobiography to set up a dichotomy between two classes of society, the people with old money and the newly rich. This..."

Tags:autobiography, Black Boy, Richard Wright, F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Abstract
This paper explains that when people read autobiographies, it is to learn more about the author's life, his or her experiences or simply what kind of person the author really is; however what most people fail to question is if the autobiography is a true reflection of the author's character or merely an elaborate fabrication that nobody has sufficient evidence to refute. The author points out that the main achievement of Benjamin Franklin's "Autobiography" is self-invention; he portrays himself as just another tax-paying citizen; however, he talks about how he let the government use his name to endorse different financial projects and attempts to establish himself as a sort of authority on virtue. The paper relates that writing an autobiography correctly includes (1) acting the part in real life when in public, (2) writing convincingly and (3) only fabricating things that you know nobody can disprove.

From the Paper
"On the other hand, autobiographies are not always automatically taken for truth, so to a degree, public behavior must be in agreement with what was written for it to complete the image created. Benjamin Franklin, generally, did a good job of acting the part in public to help support the image he had created of himself, but there are certain aspects of his life that he did not try as hard to fit into the mold he had made. These aspects included women, chastity, and humility. Franklin's idea of having humility was to be like Jesus and Socrates. Franklin did many things in public and in his writings that counteracted any attempt to convince his audience that he was humble or that he strived to be like Jesus."

Tags:fabrication, self-invention, virtue, image, womanizer

Abstract
This paper explains that Lucy Grealy, in her book "Autobiography of a Face", tells how she spent much of her childhood in and out of hospitals for painful cancer treatments and failed facial reconstructions and how she experienced emotionally searing bullying. The author relates Grealy's story of her several empty sexual affairs, which made her feel important, loved and needed by a man. The paper reports that, while her book ends happily with her rejection of beauty norms and embracing her own uniqueness, her life ended abruptly at the age of 39. The author concludes that, in this autobiography, the themes of ideal female beauty and sexuality are tied together in the life and experiences of Lucy Grealy.

From the Paper
"In Shaw and Lee's book "Women's Voices, Feminist Visions", several points are made about the beauty ideal that are directly relevant to Lucy Grealy's life. The authors note that "contemporary images of female beauty are changeable...what is considered beautiful is culturally produced and therefore changes across time and across cultures." While there are changing standards, such as that being thin in some cultures and time periods is considered ugly and a sign of being poor, Lucy Grealy's facial deformity does not fall into one of those changing beauty standards."

Tags:image sadness humor deformity, consumer trap

Abstract
This paper explains that Benjamin Franklin's autobiography "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin" relates his entrepreneurial spirit that turned him into a shrewd businessman, a great inventor and innovator, a community leader and later a very well-known and well-respected politician. The author points out that this book indicates that the business environment was changing and industrialization was gaining hold because, as Franklin reported, while the older generation was skeptical and cautious, the younger generation was full of optimism, courage and believed in possibilities. The paper suggests that an important lesson from Franklin's book is that a person may gain success and still be rude and arrogant, but a man who is remembered for ages is someone who remained humble when he was going up.

From the Paper
"The key to success may not be one and the same for everyone but it appears that hard work and believing in one's decision play critical role in shaping the lives and careers of successful people. Benjamin Franklin knew he loved printing and that this was the business to be in. He also had the inclination to start this business in Philadelphia so while some people tried to discourage him, he stuck with his beliefs and worked tirelessly to make himself a success in this business. As we later see that not only he became an immensely successful printer and publisher, he also turned into a competent politician. This wouldn't have been possible if he never believed in himself or if he listened to the negative opinion of other people. "

Tags:entrepreneur, inventor, politician, childhood, humble

Abstract
This paper gives a brief but succinct summary of the major events of Malcolm's life, as outlined in his autobiography. It then delves into the reasons underlying the racism and inequality of the United States in Malcolm's time. A brief history of slavery and the African-American experience explains the social conditions for African-Americans in the mid-1900s, in America. The paper also examines the reasons for Malcolm's behavior in the social context of the 1940s to the 1960s in the United States. It describes if Malcolm's conditions and treatment are similar to those experienced by other African-Americans, in the United States, during the same time frame. It provides a thorough sociological analysis of Malcolm's behavior, in terms of the social conditions he was exposed to. Further, it describes Malcolm's behavior in terms of the sociological concepts of both deterrence theory and labeling theory. The paper finally describes the presence of social conditions, in current United States society, that mirror those seen in the 1940s and the 1960s in the United States. It compares these social conditions to the social conditions that were seen in Malcolm's "Autobiography of Malcolm X".

From the Paper
"Malcolm X was one on the most controversial leaders in American history. His outspokenness about the plight of the African American people, and his close ties with the black Black Muslim movement made Malcolm X a highly feared black leader. He was known for inflammatory speeches, and his strong belief in the Black Muslim sect. Malcolm X sought out publicity, and was well known for his views on vengeance and retribution for the African American people.

"Malcolm X was born on May 19th, 1925, in Omaha Nebraska. Born Malcolm Little, his father was a Baptist minister, and a strong supporter of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, run by Marcus Garvey. This organization encouraged African Americans to run their own businesses, and discouraged dependence on the culture and economy of white America.'"

Tags:black, african, american, sociology, race, negro, society, muslim, racial, racism, equality, islam, prejudice