Introduction

Many people write different kinds of books for a variety of reasons. Some write for pleasure, some for other people in order to share their experience and knowledge, and some want to transfer their bad and sad memories to paper. Furthermore, they want to make aware the general public about serious problems that afflict defenceless people, even innocent children. It might seem that children are highly protected by the law nowadays; however, it is only a delusion. In a developed country, which is Britain, some years ago one boy experienced unimaginable trauma in his home. Neglected, beaten and starved by his parents, he had to live and face all life difficulties without any support. Moreover, he had to be mature as a young boy, in order to protect and aid his siblings. Consequently, these horrific experiences had a significant impact on his mental state. The choice of this topic was determined by the personal interest of reading life narratives. However, I have to admit that my adventure with this genre began when this particular book came into my hands. The Kid is a phenomenal book, because it is an autobiography which concerns a common problem of children maltreatment. The author of the book speaks about the unspeakable, which arouses various emotions in a reader, from compassion and sorrow to exultation and admiration. The language is simple and comprehensible, which makes the words speak louder to the reader. Moreover, it is said that, writing has been recognized for its healing power and this book is an example of Scriptotherapy as a way to release emotions, frustration and fears. The whole Diploma Project comprises three important parts. The first one is a presentation of theoretical concepts concerning life narrative and the methodology is introduced there. What is more, the aim of this chapter is to present different theories of life writing and also to investigate the way in which life writing is considered as Scriptotherapy. The second chapter is a textual analysis of Kevin Lewis autobiography. This part is devoted to a detailed analysis of selected autobiographical subjects in The Kid on the basis of the given methodology in the first chapter. The aim of this part of the Diploma Project is to analyse an autobiography with the usage of the given methodology and to highlight the significance of this methodology in the discussion of the protagonists life. The last chapter of the Diploma Project consists of four parts. The first subchapter presents Coaxers/ Coexers which contributed to Lewis success. The second subchapter raises an issue of Scriptotherapy and its benefits for the author. The third part is focused on the Addressees of the book. The last subchapter considers what influence the author exerted on British society. This complete part of the Diploma Project has the aim to discuss different aspects of autobiographical acts and their influence as well on the author as the reader. The final and most important aim of the Diploma Project is an attempt at proving the thesis that Kevin Lewis, having grown up in a poverty-stricken London of the 1970s, neglected and abused not only by

his parents but also by peers, survived and overcame his demons from childhood with the help of Scriptotherapy.