BIOGRAPHICAL

APPROACH

By: Joanne Catabay

Ericka Mae Ignacio
WHAT IS BIOGRAPHICAL APPROACH?

Biographical Approach, a facet of the Extrinsic

Approach in literary criticism, examines an author's
life and experiences to interpret their works. It seeks
connections between the author's biography and their
literary creations, exploring how personal
experiences, beliefs, and socio-political contexts
influence their writing.

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THE BIOGRAPHICAL
APPROACH ENCOMPASSES
VARIOUS TYPES

A. PSYCHOBIOGRAPHY
B. SOCIOBIOGRAPHY
C. HISTORICAL BIOGRAPHY
PSYCHOBIOGRAPHY

FOCUSES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL
ASPECTS OF THE AUTHOR'S LIFE
AND HOW THEY MANIFEST IN
THEIR WORKS.
 SOCIOBIOGRAPHY

Explores the author's societal

influences and their impact on
literary themes and
characters.

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HISTORICAL
BIOGRAPHY

Considers historical
events and cultural milieu
shaping an author's
perspective and narrative
choices.
WHERE IT'S SEEN:

This approach is prevalent in the study of classic

literature, particularly in analyzing the works of
authors from the Romantic period onwards.
Biographical interpretations are often applied to
renowned writers like William Shakespeare,
Virginia Woolf, and Ernest Hemingway.

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WHEN EMPLOYING THE BIOGRAPHICAL
APPROACH, CRITICS MUST CONSIDER

 Reliability of Sources
Ensuring accuracy and authenticity of biographical information.
 Interpretative Caution
Avoiding overreliance on biographical details to the detriment of textual
analysis.
 Contextual Understanding
Recognizing the interplay between an author's personal life and broader
historical or cultural contexts.

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IMPORTANCE AND CHALLENGES

The Biographical Approach offers insights into an

author's motivations, thematic preoccupations, and
creative process. However, challenges include the
potential for oversimplification, the risk of imposing
interpretations based on limited biographical data, and
the neglect of other critical perspectives.

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EXAMPLES AND
ANALYSIS

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BIOGRAPHICAL
ELEMENTS:
AUSTEN'S OWN EXPERIENCES
WITH SOCIAL CLASS AND
MARRIAGE LIKELY
INFLUENCED HER PORTRAYAL
OF THESE THEMES IN THE
NOVEL.
ANALYSIS: BY EXAMINING AUSTEN'S
BACKGROUND, READERS CAN BETTER
UNDERSTAND HER CRITIQUE OF THE SOCIETAL
NORMS AND EXPECTATIONS OF HER TIME.

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WITH MENTAL ILLNESS
AND SOCIETAL
PRESSURES ARE
REFLECTED IN THE
PROTAGONIST'S
EXPERIENCES IN THE
NOVEL.
ANALYSIS:THROUGH
THE BIOGRAPHICAL
APPROACH, READERS
CAN INTERPRET THE
NOVEL AS A SEMI-
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL
EXPLORATION OF
PLATH'S OWN BATTLES
WITH DEPRESSION AND
THE CONSTRAINTS
PLACED ON WOMEN IN
THE 1950S AND 1960S.
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BIOGRAPHICAL
ELEMENTS:
ORWELL'S EXPERIENCES DURING WORLD
WAR II AND HIS DISILLUSIONMENT WITH
TOTALITARIAN REGIMES INFORM THE
DYSTOPIAN WORLD DEPICTED IN THE
NOVEL.
ANALYSIS: BY EXAMINING ORWELL'S
BACKGROUND, READERS CAN DISCERN HIS
WARNINGS ABOUT THE DANGERS OF
AUTHORITARIANISM AND THE EROSION OF
INDIVIDUAL FREEDOMS.
The Biographical Approach offers valuable
insights into the relationship between an
author's life and their work.
However, it is essential to use this approach
judiciously, considering the complexities of
literary creation and avoiding simplistic
correlations between an author's biography
and their texts.
 CONNECTION TO LITERATURE:
THE BIOGRAPHICAL APPROACH UNDERSCORES THE
SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AN AUTHOR'S
LIFE AND THEIR LITERARY CREATIONS, EMPHASIZING
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCES,
CULTURAL MILIEU, AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT IN
SHAPING LITERATURE.

IT ENRICHES OUR UNDERSTANDING OF TEXTS BY

ILLUMINATING THE COMPLEX INTERPLAY BETWEEN
THE AUTHOR'S BIOGRAPHY AND THEIR ARTISTIC
EXPRESSION.
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REFERENCES:
- BOOTH, ALISON. "HOW TO MAKE A LITERARY LIFE:
THE BIOGRAPHICAL APPROACH." *THE ENGLISH
REVIEW*, VOL. 19, NO. 1, 2008, PP. 14-18.

- LEITCH, VINCENT B. *THE NORTON ANTHOLOGY OF

THEORY AND CRITICISM*. W. W. NORTON &
COMPANY, 2018.

- SMITH, MICHELLE. "BIOGRAPHICAL CRITICISM."

*LITERARY THEORY AND CRITICISM: AN
INTRODUCTION*, 2ND ED., OXFORD UNIVERSITY
PRESS, 2020, PP. 112-126.
THANK YOU!!