All (auto)biographies and memoirs have one thing in common: they are usually written in the retrospective way, meaning that even if they “read chronologically forward, they are composed essentially backward.” (Louis Menand in Smith and Watson) In life writing the term “memoir” is complex to define, since it has different definitions, depending on various contexts. The term memoir derives from the French word for “memory”, which implies that it could be written in a subjective and impressionistic rather than a factual and strongly evident way. A memoir can neither be fiction, nor a novel, since the memoir genre tries to depict the ultimate truth and the real life of the author, the first-person-narrator or other individuals. Nonetheless nowadays memoirs can also include invented or enhanced materials or novelistic techniques as embellishments, because they are a form of literary art. (Couser)
It is often hard to distinguish between memoirs (or factual writing) and fiction, because many works are paradoxically hybrid forms of both of the literary types and additionally fiction often pretends to be factual and to depict the real world. Furthermore the term memoir is often used as a synonym of autobiography, even though it is only a subgenre of autobiography, because the memoir must not be about the author him- or herself: “whereas biography can be about anyone who has ever existed, memoir can only concern someone known to, and remembered by, the author. […] It will be, or resemble, reminiscence, consisting of personal recollection.” (Couser) Memoirs in direct comparison to autobiographies generally tend to be more concise, selective and focused. According to G. Thomas Couser what differentiates life writing from the real life is that “life is long […] multidimensional and complex, sometimes chaotic; and life writing must have form and focus. Life inevitably far exceeds the capacity of writing to contain it.”
Even though the memoir genre, and especially its flourishing in the United States of America and Great Britain, is a patriarchy product it strengthened feminism and allowed women to “speak publicly” (in form of a written and published book, a typical memoir). Often the memoirs of female writers report about traumatic periods in their life, such as abuse or violence.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- 1.1 The Memoir and its Boom
- 1.2 Comparing Movies & Books
- Main Body
- 2.1 Susanna Kaysen's Girl, Interrupted
- 2.2 Augusten Burroughs' Running with Scissors
- Conclusion
- 3.1 Conclusion and Outlook
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper analyzes two of the most successful American memoirs and their movie adaptations, aiming to understand the popularity of the memoir genre in the United States. The paper explores the historical context of the memoir boom, examines the differences and similarities between the book and movie versions of the memoirs, and investigates the reasons for their success.
- The evolution and popularity of the memoir genre in the United States.
- The relationship between memoirs and their movie adaptations.
- The impact of the memoir boom on the publishing and film industries.
- The role of personal experience in contemporary culture.
- The dynamics of storytelling and truth in the memoir genre.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter defines the term "memoir" and its historical context, exploring the rise of the memoir boom in the United States. It analyzes the differences between memoirs and autobiographies, discussing how memoirs often focus on specific periods or events in an author's life. This chapter also briefly discusses the relationship between memoirs and their movie adaptations, highlighting the challenges of adapting a book into a film format.
- Susanna Kaysen's Girl, Interrupted: This chapter focuses on Susanna Kaysen's memoir, Girl, Interrupted, examining its content and narrative structure. It discusses the author's personal experiences and how they are presented in the text. This chapter also explores the use of medical records and the impact of Kaysen's mental health journey on the book's themes and message.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This work focuses on the memoir boom, American memoirs, movie adaptations, personal experience, narrative structure, mental health, and cultural impact. It explores how the memoir genre has evolved and gained popularity in the United States, examining the reasons for its success and analyzing the relationship between memoirs and their movie adaptations.
- Quote paper
- Rashida Thielhorn (Author), 2019, The Memoir Boom in the United States, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/507962
