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The Purpose of a Biography

            The purpose of a biography is to report on a person's life in an informative and entertaining manner. At the end of any biography, the reader should feel that they know the subject on a personal level. Unfortunately this feat is unachievable because it is simply not possible to gather and report on every fact in a comprehensive and unbiased manner, while making it entertaining to the reader. The biography that shall be focused upon within this report is "Outwitting Hitler, Surviving Stalin" by Arthur Spindler. Arthur Spindler was a Polish Jew that survived the fascism and repression of World War Two and the Holocaust. This biography tells of his story while dealing with the trials and tribulations that were commonplace during the Holocaust. This biography shall be used as an exemplar as to why it is not possible to write a perfect biography. Consequently it is the hypothesis of this report that it is not possible to write a perfect biography because reader expectations can never be met. The basic elements of any biography are:.
             Comprehensive Facts .
             Unbiased reporting of facts .
             A personal knowledge of the subject.
             A novel like structure.
             In this report, these elements shall be examined and it shall be explained as to why not all of these elements can be fulfilled and hence why it is impossible to write a perfect biography. The structure of any report is factual and comprehensive information. The reader expects that any information that they read is accurate and complete, unfortunately it is human nature to forget information. Facts can be lost, forgotten, suppressed and distorted over time; consequently no reported fact can be comprehensive. An example of this can be seen in the evident gaps in the storyline of the featured biography. This can be seen in the aspect of the storyline relating to relating to the subject and his family emigrating to Australia for safety. This period must have been a trialing time for the subject as can be seen in the emotive language used in the line " the only way that we could ever see each other again was to emigrate to Australia.


Essays Related to The Purpose of a Biography

1. Biography of Nathaniel Hawthorne

So, I don't see that there is anything left for me but to be an author (qt. in "Nathaniel Hawthorne - Biography")." ... The book was a great success and received exceptionally positive feedback ("Nathaniel Hawthorne - Biography"). ... In 1841, in an attempt to gain some financial stability, they decided to move to an experimental transcendentalist community called Brook Farm ("Nathaniel Hawthorne - Biography"). ... In 1852, Hawthorne's college friend Franklin Pierce ran for president and asked him to write a biography for his campaign. ... Hawthorne's most notable attribute i...

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2. The Lives of the Artists by Vasari

The first edition of the book contained only Michaelangelo's biography as the living artist. However, in the second edition, several artists were added when living and Vasari's own biography was included. ... He was also the first important collector of drawings, which he had used also as research material for his biographies. ... Moreover, his book could also be considered as a masterpiece of western literature, as his sytle is far from giving documantery and/or historic information, but storytelling with the purpose of giving pleasure to the readers instead of instructing them....

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3. Duke Ellington

He was the son of J.E. and Daisy Ellington (Ellington Biography). ... Owner Owney Madden usually had "sultry chorus girls, sensual choreography- and "hot jazz- (Ellington Biography). ... For the war, Duke composed "A Slip Of The Lip (May Sink The Ship)- in 1942 (Ellington Biography). ... Tricky Sam' Nanton also died on July 20 1946 (Ellington Biography). ... Duke's music came through with a purpose: to share the essence of life. ...

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4. Minjung Theology

Introduction The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that an interpretation through minjung theology of a certain biblical text (Exodus 3:7-10) and a social biography of its particular human subject (the oppressed Hebrew people) on the one hand, and that of a certain historical text (writings on the March First Movement) and a social biography of its particular human subject (the oppressed Korean-Protestant people) on the other may suggest that liberation of the oppressed is the value this biblical text promotes. I would like to attain this purpose by taking a series of steps: first, I ...

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5. Alain Locke and the Associates in Negro Folk Education

Reading with a Purpose; no. 68. ... Section II: Biography There are several biographies on Alain Locke but Leonard Harris and Charles Molesworth in the Alain Locke: Biography of a Philosopher writes the first full length biography. ... While classified as a biography critic Sanford Pinsker in his review of the biography disagrees with Harris and Molesworth saying they put appropriate shadings in a biography that might have tilted toward hagiography. ... Locke: Biography of a Philosopher. ... A Biography of Alain Locke: Philosopher of the Harlem Renaissance, 1886-1930. , 1982. ...

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6. Alain Locke and the Associates in Negro Folk Education

Reading with a Purpose; no. 68. ... Section II: Biography There are several biographies on Alain Locke but Leonard Harris and Charles Molesworth in the Alain Locke: Biography of a Philosopher writes the first full length biography. ... While classified as a biography critic Sanford Pinsker in his review of the biography disagrees with Harris and Molesworth saying they put appropriate shadings in a biography that might have tilted toward hagiography. ... Locke: Biography of a Philosopher. ... A Biography of Alain Locke: Philosopher of the Harlem Renaissance, 1886-1930. , 1982. ...

  • Word Count: 2542
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7. Elected Officials, Legislative Committees and the Ohio Budget

He affiliates himself with the Republican Party (Biography, 2014, William). ... First, getting Ohio back to work, second, promoting quality education, and third, making healthcare affordable (Biography, 2014, Barbara). ... She also believes that it is important for the political process be inclusive of Ohio's diverse population (Biography, 2014 Tracy). ... His political views and interests reflect in his strong religious beliefs (Biography, n.d. ...

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8. John Steinbeck

("John Steinbeck-, -John Steinbeck Biography-) As a boy, John grew up in a middle class family. ... ("John Steinbeck- , "John Steinbeck Biography-) John also did other work during the summers and other times he was away from college. ... ("John Steinbeck Biography- , "John Steinbeck- , "Steinbeck, John (Ernst)-) John had left New York in the early 1940's and he lived the rest of his life in New York City and on Long Island in New York. ... He is charged with exposing our many grievous faults and failures, with dredging up to the light our dark and dangerous dreams for the purpose...

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9. John Steinbeck

("John Steinbeck-, -John Steinbeck Biography-) As a boy, John grew up in a middle class family. ... ("John Steinbeck- , "John Steinbeck Biography-) John also did other work during the summers and other times he was away from college. ... ("John Steinbeck Biography- , "John Steinbeck- , "Steinbeck, John (Ernst)-) John had left New York in the early 1940's and he lived the rest of his life in New York City and on Long Island in New York. ... He is charged with exposing our many grievous faults and failures, with dredging up to the light our dark and dangerous dreams for the purpose...

  • Word Count: 963
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  • Grade Level: High School

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