1. Experience the Passage of Time: The reader sees how the protagonist's perspective evolves as they grow older. Childhood events, which might have seemed insignificant at the time, are given new meaning and significance from the vantage point of adulthood.
2. Understand the Impact of Past Experiences: The adult narrator can analyze their childhood experiences and how they shaped their values, beliefs, and personality. This can provide insights into the origins of their strengths, weaknesses, and motivations.
3. Appreciate the Complexity of Human Development: By juxtaposing the child's naive and often limited understanding with the adult's more nuanced and informed perspective, the autobiography can explore the process of growing up, learning, and evolving as a person.
4. Engage with Themes of Memory and Identity: The dual perspective allows the author to explore how memory shapes our understanding of ourselves and the past. It also sheds light on how we construct our identities through the lens of our life experiences.
Examples of Dual Perspective in Autobiography:
* "Angela's Ashes" by Frank McCourt: The adult Frank reflects on his impoverished childhood in Ireland, contrasting the hardship and humor of those years with his later successes as a writer.
* "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Haley and Malcolm X: The book vividly contrasts the young Malcolm's experiences with racism and prejudice with the mature Malcolm's commitment to social justice and empowerment.
* "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou: The autobiographical account of Angelou's childhood and adolescence explores the impact of trauma and prejudice on her developing sense of self.
Overall, the dual perspective in autobiography from boyhood to adulthood provides a rich and insightful account of human development and the complexities of life experience. It allows readers to see the past through the eyes of both the child and the adult, gaining a deeper understanding of the protagonist's journey and the meaning they find in their life.