Key Difference – Memoir vs Biography
Memoirs and Biographies are two varieties that fall under thenonfictionalgenre, between which a key difference can be identified. You may have read books or watched movies that have been adapted from memoirs or biographies. Have you ever noticed a difference between a memoir and a biography? It is true that both memoirs and biographies are accounts of the personal life of an individual. If so, what is the exact difference between these two varieties? Thekey differenceis thatwhile a memoir specifically focuses on a particular incident or experience of an individual and attempts to highlight a point of view, a biography presents chronological events from the life of a particular person without specifically focusing on a particular experience. Also unlike in memoirs where a particular emphasis is laid on individual emotions, a biography tends to be more general. This article attempts to clarify the difference between a memoir and a biography in detail.
What is a Memoir?
According to the Oxford dictionary, a memoir refers to a written account of events that one remembers. A memoir tries to capture a special experience or event that an individual undergoes and elaborates on this experience. This process of elaboration incorporates theemotionalexperience of the individual as well as the point of view that the individual has as well. This is one of the key characteristics of a memoir. It can present a very personal point of view which allows the reader to understand the story from the person’s point of view.
A memoir does not stress over factual details or the presentation of chronological events although it consists of a story like nature. A memoir does not always narrate the story of a famous individual; on the contrary, it can be even the voice of a lay person presenting his point of view during a historical event, or a unique experience.
What is a Biography?
A biography is an account of a person’s life written by someone else. Biographies are very factual and present details of an individual from his birth till death. In some cases, these tend to elaborate on the social climate of that particular era as well for the reader’s benefit. Biographies are mostly written about famous individuals. When the individual himself writes this account, it is known as anautobiography.
传记按时间顺序叙述个人的故事。这些并没有详细说明个人的情感经历,而是严格关注生活中发生的变化。现在,一些世界著名的传记也已经适应了电影。例如,斯蒂芬·霍金(Stephen Hawking)的传记被改编成电影《一切理论》。
What is the difference between a Memoir and a Biography?
回忆录和传记的定义:
Memoir:A memoir refers to a written account of events that one remembers.
Biography:A biography is an account of a person’s life written by someone else.
Characteristics of Memoir and Biography:
Focus:
Memoir:A memoir focuses on a particular experience.
Biography:A biography focuses on the entire lifespan.
Perception:
Memoir:回忆录试图带来特定的感知或个人的观点。
Biography:传记不包括特定的感知。
Emotions:
Memoir:A memoir gives more space to individual emotions.
Biography:A biography does not emphasize much on emotions.
Image Courtesy:
1.Hood to Highrise Memoir – First ShipmentBy ChispaTruth~commonswiki (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
2.一切理论_ver2_xlgBy Jorge Figueroa [ CC BY 2.0] via Flickr
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