ABSTRACT

First Published in 1995. Autobiography is commonly understood in terms of giving readers insight into the private lives of unique individuals, but in recent years the autobiographical project has absorbed a wide variety of social concerns. The contributors to this book explore a range of the uses of autobiography from the nineteenth-century to the present day, and from Africa, USA, the Middle East, France, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The chapters draw on a number of approaches, including historical and literary methods to represent the autobiography's purpose of establishing communities of interest and social change.

chapter Chapter 1|12 pages

Introduction

part Chapter 2|18 pages

Theories of Autobiography

chapter Two|7 pages

Why does an author who apparently draws so much on autobiography seem committed to ‘alienating’ the reader?

A reflection on theories of autobiography with reference to the work of Janet Frame

part Chapter 4|17 pages

Making Sense of the Self: Cultural Identities Under Pressure

part Chapter 6|21 pages

Autobiography, Authenticity and Nineteenth-century Ideas of Race

part Chapter 7|18 pages

Sisterhood and Self-censorship in the Nineteenth Century

part Chapter 8|23 pages

The Educative ‘I’ in Nineteenth-century Women's Autobiographies

chapter Chapter 9|12 pages

Autobiography and Educational Change

‘I wanted to nurse. Father wanted teachers.’