Answer:
A. true
Explanation:
Biographical Writing
A biography can be written while the subject is still alive, or it can be written long after the subject has died. Regardless of when the biography is written, it should be based on facts. Remember, biography is a form of expository, or nonfiction, writing meant to inform or entertain. When you think of what a biography is, you probably think of writing that tells about a person’s entire life. However, biographical writing can be limited to just one aspect of, or event in, a person’s life. a type of expository writing can be about entire life of subject, or selected event A complete, or full, biography covers all the major events in the subject’s life. It explores the subject’s relationships with parents, other family members, and friends, as well as other important people involved in the subject’s life. The author will show how these events and relationships helped define who the subject is or was. Writing While biography is a form of expository writing, it can have a purpose beyond simply giving information. For instance, a short biography in an encyclopedia will give you all the important facts of a person’s life. However, it may not give you a feeling for the subject as a person or his or her place in time. The facts of a person’s life might be interpreted differently depending on who writes the biography. The person who writes the biography is called a biographer.
When the biographer is the subject, the biography is actually an autobiography. When the biographer is someone who knew the subject personally, the biography is known as a firsthand biography. You know from analyzing the word autobiography that it means “a record of someone’s life written by that person.” It is a firsthand account of the person’s life. A way to identify autobiography is by recognizing the point of view from which the person is writing. You can tell the point of view by noting in which person the biography is written. When you tell a story about yourself, which point of view do you use? If you were to write a biography about one of your relatives, which point of view would you use? Autobiographies are almost always written in the first-person point of view. The subject of an autobiography is I or we. Other biographies are written in the third-person point of view. The subject of a biography is he, she, or they. In summary, autobiographies are firsthand biographies written in the first person. Otherwise, all the rules of biographical writing apply. Biographers might have different purposes for writing a biography. The approach an author takes might depend on the amount of time that has passed since the subject lived. It is a good idea to question the author’s purpose when you read a biography. Who do you think is the most reliable type of biographer?
the subject (autobiography) someone who knew the subject personally (firsthand biography) a researcher or historian who had no personal knowledge of the subject You may think the writer of an autobiography is the most reliable. The reason seems obvious. Since autobiographies are written by the subjects themselves, no one can know the subject better than they do. Autobiographies are sometimes called memoirs (MEM wharz), because they are the direct memories of the actual subjects of the biographies. When you and a friend recall some event you shared, do your memories always agree? the subject (autobiography) someone who knew the subject personally (firsthand biography) a researcher or historian who had no personal knowledge of the subject Can you think of possible problems with the reliability of autobiographies? Here are some reasons why an autobiography may not be the most reliable type of biographical writing:
The subject’s memory may not be accurate. The subject may want to protect his or her public image.
The subject may want to protect the reputation of others who are still alive. The subject does not want to hurt ongoing relationships. The subject may be required by laws or personal agreements to keep certain things secret. the subject (autobiography) someone who knew the subject personally (firsthand biography)
a researcher or historian who had no personal knowledge of the subject
The firsthand biography, written by a friend or a relative, has many of the same reliability problems as an autobiography. Since the firsthand biographer knew (or knows) the subject, he or she can give some insights into the person’s character, behavior, and actions that a historical biographer cannot. However, since the firsthand biographer knew the subject, the writing is influenced by his or her feelings about the person.
