자서전 연구의 성격과 전망

Autobiographical Study: Its Nature and Outlook

&nbsp;&nbsp;This paper aims to explore the question of autobiography in its theoretical and cultural contexts. Unlike other literary genre, autobiography did not go through the systematic process of development and, consequently, did not have the authentic theory. The literary theory of autobiography came into being in the late 20th century, especially in the 1970s, and our own is being called the age of autobiography with the booming of the publication of all kinds of autobiography in virtually every field. Though it deals with the unique individual experience, autobiography is more universal than local, more timeless than historic, and more meaningful in the portrayal of individuals than merely personal. In its exploration of the lived experience of individuals and its written record, the study of autobiography enhances our understanding of autobiography in its history, theory and practice. Autobiography has the premise that all knowledge begins in self-discovery, so that man is the starting point of the universe. In other words, to produce autobiography is to define the concept of the self in its diverse manifestation and this self is best understood from the single source. After all, man carries out his instinctive desire by the act of seeking his own image through autobiography.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;Autobiography becomes, more than any other genres, the literary genre that can engage our immediate interest since it is based upon the individual life which is growing to be personal and authentic. Though it treats specific times and individuals, autobiography becomes a vehicle through which we get to the individual life realistically and learn a deep understanding of humanity. Part of the reason that autobiography appeals to many readers is that by looking at the actualities of other people, they get access to the order of life that cannot be easily found in the daily experience itself. As one of the rare historical sources about individuals, autobiography brings us the direct experiences of individuals by allowing the possibility that each person might have his own autobiography allotted to him. The other reason that autobiography is getting important in recent years is that it became a source for understanding others whose voice had been denied due to their race, gender, religion, and social standing. In conclusion, autobiography needs to be newly recognized through the social and cultural context that it contains and to come to grips with the question of what it has been and is, and what it aspires to be.