Difference Between Autobiography And Memoir

Introduction

An autobiography includes all of the narrator's life events in chronological sequence, whereas a memoir is the author's real-life experience with a lesson or message to share with the readers. Due to the similarities between these two types of literature, many people confuse autobiographies and memoirs. An autobiography covers the writer's entire life, while a memoir focuses on a specific period or aspect of the writer's life.

Difference Between Autobiography And Memoir

Memoir and autobiography are often used interchangeably. These two nonfiction genres are similar, so it's simple to mix them up. They're both stories about someone's life written by that person, and they both consist of the pronouns "I" and "me" because they're in the first person. They are both real stories about the author's life. However, there are some major differences.

A memoir is a nonfiction story in which the author relates memories from a certain time period or reflects on a series of related events throughout their life. An autobiography is a true and historical description of one's life from start to finish.

What Is An Autobiography?

An autobiography is a detailed narrative of an individual's life written or told by the individual. It is an abbreviated summary written in a chronological sequence that describes one's life experiences, including highs and lows, at various stages such as childhood, adulthood, and so on. Typically, autobiographies are written in the first person, 'I', allowing the writer to readily communicate his thoughts on life events.

An autobiography can be written by a person or by hiring a ghostwriter. It can take the form of books, audio recordings, plays, skits, documentaries, or films. The events described in autobiographies are accurate and genuine. Historians frequently utilise them as resources.

Many autobiographies are written by individuals who have achieved a certain level of fame and detail their journey to success. The author could be a politician, activist, businessman, professional athlete, or celebrity. However, anyone can write an autobiography.

The word autobiography derives from three basic Greek words: "auto," which means self; "bio," which means life; and "graph," which means to write.

What Is An Autobiography In Terms Of Literary Genre?

Autobiographies are within the nonfiction genre. Autobiographies are stories that look back on most of an author's life. They are factual and follow a timeline. Writers in this genre usually highlight how their lives and personal growth fit into the historical and cultural background of their time.

How Is An Autobiography Structured?

Traditionally, autobiographies have been written in chronological order. However, autobiographies now have two common structures. Each framework adheres to classic narrative ideas, and these two structures are common throughout the publishing industry.

Most autobiographies have a chronological structure such as this:

  • Foundation: Includes childhood experiences, family members, community, home life, school, friendships, and family customs.
  • Adversity: Includes key occasions leading to significant life achievements.
  • Conclusion: Includes lessons learned after conquering or accepting adversity.

Some autobiographies follow a format that the writer Joseph Campbell termed "the hero's journey," which comprises the following elements:

  • Adversity: Includes a life crisis or crucial moment that triggered the life they live today.
  • Foundation: Includes childhood experiences, family traditions, community, school, friendship, and home life.
  • Conclusion: Includes how they overcame adversity and the lessons they learned along the way.

The "hero's journey" format can be utilised to capture the reader's interest. It sparks curiosity and a desire for resolution in the reader, compelling them to keep reading.

What Is A Memoir?

The word 'memoir' is a French word mémoire that means reminiscence or remembrance. It is a memory recorded by the subject in real time to convey a moral or message to the readers. It seeks to describe how the person acquired a lesson from his experience or transformed himself. The author of the memoir is known as a memoirist. It focuses on a single section, stage, or time in the author's life that caused him to change, such as a turning point or failure.

A memoir is a less formal, typically sympathetic writing intended to cover accurate and genuine material. It has no structure and can begin at any point.

How to Pronounce Memoir?

Memoir may seem like a difficult word to pronounce, but it is actually pretty simple. The beginning is "mem," which is the same as "memory." The ending is simply an elongated pronunciation of "war." When combined phonetically, it sounds like "MEM-WAAR." An online dictionary can provide you with an audio recording of this word being pronounced aloud.

What Defines Memoir As A Literary Genre?

A memoir is a type of literary nonfiction where the author remembers events from a significant period in their life. In a collection of personal essays, they may focus on their childhood and family, a spiritual journey, their experience with fame, a large excursion, or a variety of thematically related events. Some memoirs are now graphic novels that the author has illustrated themselves.

How Is A Memoir Structured?

There is no one proper approach to organising a memoir. Memoir authors can vary with how they sequence the events they recall, such as writing in the past or present tense, using a linear narrative, or dividing their memoir into sections.

While a memoir is a versatile genre, it should incorporate certain elements:

  • A unique theme.
  • Something the author overcame.
  • First-person writing style.
  • Supporting historical information and events, as well as the people who were present.
  • Storytelling fundamentals, such as storyline and setting.
  • Honesty

Memoirs often follow one of these structures:

  • Flashbacks: The author jumps back and forth from the past and present to convey the backstory.
  • Chronological: The author describes their experiences in the order they occurred.
  • Themed: The author only adds recollections that fit with one certain theme.
  • Overcoming: The author focuses on a single issue and how it impacted their life.

Some Similarities Between Autobiography and Memoir

  • Nonfiction literary genre.
  • Written by the subjects themselves.
  • Written in first person.

Key Differences Between Autobiography and Memoir

The following points illustrate the significant differences between autobiography and memoir:

An autobiography is a literary form in which the subject writes or narrates his life narrative. A memoir is a literary genre in which an individual writes a compilation of memories about episodes and events that occurred in his life.

An autobiography is a detailed account of the subject's life events. A memoir, on the other hand, is more centralised and concentrates on the author's specific experiences.

An autobiography follows a chronological order, whereas a memoir is structure-less, meaning it does not follow any order like fiction and can begin at any point.

Comparison Chart

Basis For ComparisonAutobiographyMemoir
MeaningAutobiography is a kind of writing in which a person writes or narrates his life narrative.Memoir is a literary genre in which an individual writes about episodes and events that occurred in his life.
What is it?An account of life.An account from life.
NatureDetailedCentralised
CoversThe entire life of the author.Particular section of the life of the author.
ProtagonistFirst or third-personFirst-person
Focuses onAll occurrences throughout the primary character's life.In-depth exploration of a key event or episode in the memoirist's life.
OrderFollows a chronological order.It can begin anywhere.

Conclusion

A memoir is classified as a subgenre of both biography and autobiography. The primary distinction between these two literary styles is that an autobiography is a life tale that includes all of the main character's facts, such as birthplace, education, work, and relationship, whereas a memoir focuses on a specific area of the main character's life.