General biographies aim to provide a comprehensive and balanced account of a subject's life. Here are some key characteristics:
1. Comprehensive Coverage:
* Timeline: Covers the subject's life from birth to death, including key events, relationships, and accomplishments.
* Diverse Aspects: Explores various facets of the subject's life, such as personal relationships, career, achievements, failures, beliefs, and impact on society.
* Context: Provides historical context for the subject's life, including social, political, and cultural influences.
2. Balanced Perspective:
* Objectivity: Presents a neutral and factual account, avoiding biased opinions or emotional judgments.
* Multiple Perspectives: Considers different viewpoints on the subject's life and actions, including those of contemporaries, critics, and supporters.
* Historical Accuracy: Uses reliable sources and evidence to support claims and avoid speculation or embellishment.
3. Engaging Narrative:
* Storytelling: Presents the subject's life as a compelling narrative, using vivid descriptions and engaging language.
* Structure: Organizes information logically, often chronologically or thematically.
* Accessibility: Makes complex topics accessible to a wide audience, avoiding excessive jargon or technical terminology.
4. Analytical Approach:
* Analysis: Interprets the subject's life and actions, exploring underlying motivations, influences, and consequences.
* Insights: Offers insights into the subject's personality, beliefs, and significance in history.
* Conclusions: Draws meaningful conclusions about the subject's life and legacy.
5. Research-based:
* Sources: Relies on primary and secondary sources, including diaries, letters, interviews, published works, and archival materials.
* Documentation: Includes footnotes, endnotes, or a bibliography to credit sources and allow for verification.
* Rigorous: Uses rigorous research methods to ensure accuracy and reliability.
Examples of General Biographies:
* *The Life of Samuel Johnson* by James Boswell
* *Benjamin Franklin: An American Life* by Walter Isaacson
* *Steve Jobs* by Walter Isaacson
* *The Autobiography of Malcolm X* by Malcolm X and Alex Haley
Remember:
* General biographies are distinct from autobiographies (written by the subject) and memoirs (focus on specific periods or events in the subject's life).
* While general biographies strive for objectivity, there is always room for interpretation and the author's perspective.