1. Emphasis on Personality and Inner Life:
* Boswell focused intensely on Johnson's personality, quirks, and inner life, capturing his conversational brilliance, intellectual depth, and moral complexities.
* Previous biographies often focused on factual accounts of Johnson's career and achievements, neglecting his personal side.
2. Conversational Style and Anecdotes:
* Boswell's writing style was highly conversational, incorporating numerous anecdotes and verbatim quotes from Johnson's conversations. This brought a sense of immediacy and intimacy to the biography, allowing readers to experience Johnson's personality firsthand.
* Earlier biographies tended to be more formal and distant, lacking the depth and personal touch that Boswell provided.
3. Extensive Research and Access:
* Boswell devoted years to researching and compiling information about Johnson. He meticulously documented conversations, collected letters, and interviewed those who knew Johnson well.
* He had unprecedented access to Johnson's life, gaining his confidence and becoming his close friend, which allowed him to provide unique insights into his subject's life.
4. Psychological Insight and Depth:
* Boswell went beyond simply chronicling Johnson's life and explored the psychological motivations behind his actions. He examined his struggles with depression, anxieties, and the complexities of his personal relationships.
* Previous biographies generally lacked this level of psychological depth, focusing more on external events and achievements.
5. Focus on the "Whole Man":
* Boswell aimed to present a complete and nuanced portrait of Johnson, capturing his brilliance, his flaws, and his humanity. He didn't shy away from portraying Johnson's prejudices, his eccentricities, or his moments of frustration.
* Earlier biographies often focused on idealizing their subjects, presenting only their positive attributes and overlooking their complexities.
In conclusion, Boswell's biography of Samuel Johnson revolutionized the genre by prioritizing personality, intimacy, and depth of understanding. It went beyond the traditional "life and times" format to explore the complexities of a human being, paving the way for modern biographical writing.