What was the difference between an autobiography and a biography?
The main difference between autobiography and biography lies in the content and purpose they emphasize. An autobiography was usually a record of a person's experiences, thoughts, emotions, and achievements. It was designed to let the reader understand the author's personal background, growth, life trajectory, and inner world. An autobiography was generally concise and only recorded the author's most important experiences and achievements, and it was narrated in the first person. Biography was a comprehensive record of a celebrity, group, or social figure, usually including their political, economic, cultural, social, and other aspects of experience, achievements, thoughts, beliefs, and so on. The purpose of a biography is generally more ambitious. It is to let the reader understand the life of the person and his contribution to the entire history, culture, or society. Biography was generally more detailed, and it would include records of different historical periods, different people, and different events. Therefore, there were differences between autobiographies and biographies in terms of content, narration, and purpose.