Biographies Quote by William Golding
“Biography always has fulfiled this role. Robinson Crusoe is a biography, as is Tom Jones. You can go through the whole range of the novel, and you will find it is biography. The only difference between one example and the other is that sometimes it's a partial biography and sometimes it's a total biography. Clarissa, for example, is a partial biography of Clarissa and a partial biography of Lovelace. In other words, it doesn't follow Lovelace from when he is in the cradle, though it takes him to the grave.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Literary Critique, publication date unknown
The quote argues that novels function as biographies, portraying lives either partially or fully, regardless of genre conventions
In simple terms: Novels are essentially biographies of their characters
Key Takeaway
Read novels as life stories
Themes
literature
identity
biography
Mood
analytical
contemplative
Type
critical
theoretical
When to use this quote
- reading analysis
- creative writing
- teaching literature
Key Concepts
character study
narrative form
Questions to Reflect On
- How does this view change your reading of fiction?
- Can a story without a central character be a biography?
A Different Perspective
The claim may overlook novels that prioritize plot over character development
![“Every novel is a biography. Well, then, this is a novel [The Paper Men] which is a biography that is pretending to be an autobiography. That's what you could say about it.” quote by William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/946/william-golding-1233_autobiography_every-novel-is-a-biography-well-then-thi_2913685.jpg)
![“I read so ravenously that I would read through whole categories. I was crazy about reading biographies. [...] I think biographies are very urgent to children.” quote by Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a53/joan-didion-497_biographies_i-read-so-ravenously-that-i-would-read-t_43631.jpg)
