(TUL) Lesson Topic 2: Amazing Autobiographies

The prefix "auto-" means "self." Therefore, whereas biographies are the story of someone's life written by another person, autobiographies are the story of someone's life written by the particular person of the story's focus.

For example, if Abraham Lincoln wrote a factual story about his own life, the book would be considered an autobiography. Read the following speech that might be included in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s autobiography. As you read, take notes on how the author presents the information of a biography. Also, note how the themes in King's life connect to the themes of The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

Autobiography Understanding

Notice that autobiographies can often include more detailed information and personal accounts because, as you can see above, King knows his own innermost thoughts and can easily present them to readers. 

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