Literature is not a documentary. However, biographical traces do exist in many literary works. Apart from depicting "real" events, experiences and characters, can we consider the feelings or emotions associated with these experiences as biographical traces, even though authorial factors changed the original events that instigated these emotions?
Thanks, Nancy Watanabe
. Can influences on a certain writer be considered as a biographical trait? If yes, then biography extends beyond life "events".
That's a great answer that reveals how challenging biographical traces are to detect. It also raises the issue of subjectivity vs. objectivity. Literature is an unreliable source of historical facts as it is subject to authorial manipulation.
Thanks, Nancy. With the word "historical" I meant any events which relate to real life occurrences of the past, regardless of their historic significance. Writers as great as Shakespeare used authorial manipulation with, I believe, goodwill as an inspiration to write canonical histories like Henry IV for example. Even Hamlet, though not a "historical" play, is another example that can be recalled here.
I am not implying that writers of literature are licensed to falsify or re-write history. No one is, and historical facts, ideally speaking, should always be presented objectively, as far as history is concerned. However, we cannot deny or even stop writers from the fair use of real life events that could or could not carry a political/national significance. What is controversial here is where to draw the line between creativity and history and what the purpose is behind such freedom of use.
It is important that you consider the genre of the novel that you have at hand.
A testimonial novel, a autofiction, or a historical novel tend to be based on 'true' facts or biographical data of the author.
Even in the testemonial novel, the biographical lie is totally condemned. Do you know the story of Binjamin Wilkomirski's novel Fragments? See: https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/1999/oct/15/features11.g24
Abilio Pacheco, Thanks for the link which presents a very interesting case!
Actually I'm investigating poetry as memoir; the so called Confessional poetry in particular. The very nature of the poetic language makes biographical claims even more doubtful, I believe. That's why I find the very term of this poetic genre inadequate.
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