ASHLEY, Kathleen M.. The Mark of Autobiography: Pot!o"erni!, Autobiography, an" #enre$.

%n: ASHLEY,
Kathleen M.& #%LM'(E, Leigh& PETE(S, #eral" )E".*. Autobiography and Postmodernism. A!hert: The +ni,erity
of Maa-huett Pre, .//0.
%t ee! appropriate, therefore, to -oni"er the !utual hitori-i1ation of autobiography an" pot!o"erni!, epe-ially
in the -onte2t of their hare" interet in theori1ing the ub3e-t. 456 e2poe ho7 pot!o"erni!8 perfor!an-e of
9uetioning not only intere-t 7ith but po7erfully tru-ture -onte!porary interet in autobiography. :
456 autobiography an" other for! of elf;repreentation through the len of pot!o"erni!, a a ite of i"entity
pro"u-tion& a te2t that both reit an" pro"u-e -ultural i"entitie. 4...6 pot!o"erni!8 potential a a -riti-al !etho" i
on the hitori-al !o,e, it relation to autobiography re-ipro-al an" -ontete".0
456 at the en" of the ./<=, 3ut a the -hallenge to tra"itional !o"e of -holarly pra-ti-e poe" by !ore e2pli-itly
politi-al for! of -riti-i! an" theory 7ere affe-ting the a-a"e!y, the tu"y of autobiography 7a being re!a"e. 4...6
there 7a e,i"en-e of an e!erging -riti-al fo-u on the !e-hani! of ,alue by 7hi-h o!e autobiographer an"
autobiographi-al pra-ti-e ha" been !arginali1e". 0
4...6 a hitori-al !o!ent in autobiography tu"ie, one that i -hara-teri1e" by "i-iplinary e2peri!entation, an interet
in the politi- of 7riting in the firt peron, an" a re-on-eptuali1ation of the relation bet7een ethni-ity, gen"er, ra-e,
e2uality, an" "iffering for! of repreentation. 4...6 the 88elf,> a it ha been -ontru-te" in an" by autobiography, by
9uetioning the !etho"ologie that pro"u-e an" repro"u-e it -ultural i"entity. 0,?
%n tra"itional tu"ie of autobiography the ter! that are likely to hift 7ithin pot!o"erni! parti-ularly hitory an"
Sub3e-ti,ity are taken a the table ele!ent in the tory of one8 life. Te2t that affir! thi tability, or that -an be
-ontrue" a affir!ing it, for! the >tra"ition> of autobiography. @learly, the ti!e ha -o!e to -oni"er the i!pli-ation
of genre for autobiography. Pot!o"erni!8 kepti-i! about generi- typology, a the -riti- in thi ,olu!e ho7,
offer ueful -on-eptual le,erage for the tak. The inight of o!e pot!o"erni! into the fun-tioning of i"eology
an" repreentation offer an o--aion to rethink the relation bet7een autobiography an" it tra"ition, a 7ell a the tatu
of autobiography a a genre. @urrently, the tu"y of autobiography flourihe an" i -on-erne" 7ith te2t that 7oul"
pre,iouly ha,e been barre" fro! -oni"eration a >autobiography.> The Augutinian lineage "ra7n by tra"itional
tu"ie of autobiography ha naturali1e" the elf;repreentation of )!ainly* 7hite, preu!ably heteroe2ual, elite !en.
Effort to etablih a genre of autobiography bae" on the 7ork of Augutine, (oueau, Henry A"a!, an" o on,
!ut be een a parti-ipating in the -ultural pro"u-tion of a politi- of i"entity, a politi- that !aintain i"entity
hierar-hie through it repro"u-tion of -la, e2uality, ra-e, an" gen"er a ter! of >"ifferen-e> in a o-ial fiel" of
po7er. ?
Ahile on the one han", !ot tra"itional -riti- of autobiography ha,e ought to argue for autobiography8 generi-
-oheren-e an" hitori-al -ontinuity in or"er to 7in o!e pa-e in the tightly -ontete" arena of literary tu"ie, !any
pot!o"ern e2ploration, on the other han", eek to "o 7ithout or "o a7ay 7ith the "efinitional heft an" li!it pro,i"e"
by genre theory. Ahat one -an kno7 about a te2t an" 7hat a 7riter -an be een a repreenting in a te2t are, ob,iouly,
generi-ally )o,er*"eter!ine". B
456 autobiography ha often been een a inuffi-iently ob3e-ti,e be-aue the eye7itne !ay be i!ultaneouly the
!ot ought after an" !ot upe-t interpreter of e,ent. At the a!e ti!e, autobiography ha been purne" a
inuffi-iently ub3e-ti,e )or i!aginati,e* be-aue it relie too !u-h on the -ontraint of the real to be taken a art. Thu
autobiography ha fallen outi"e both fi-tion an" hitory. 456 u-h -riti-al !aneu,er a,oi" autobiography8
-ontra"i-tory nature. @ontruing autobiography a a genre ha "epen"e", at leat in part, on "o!eti-ating it pe-ifi-
7eir"ne. %t "ouble" nature -onfoun" "efinition through pree2iting generi- -ategorie, e,en a the 3u"g!ent of it
"upli-ity follo7 fro! thoe -ategorie. Ahat 7e -an -all autobiography8 reitan-e to genre -an no7 be taken a a
-rii in genre itelf, rather than the -aue of autobiography8 "i!ial or rehabilitation. B
456 there i alo a !ark of autobiography, a !ark that -an be lo-ate" pro,iionally in the al7ay proble!ati-al
"eploy!ent of the %. A 7e kno7 fro! Cakobon, Den,enite, an" other, the % "oe not properly refer...
To the e2tent that "efinition of autobiography "eri,e fro! the referen-e bet7een the peron 7ho ay % an" the % that i
not a peron but a fun-tion of language, thee "efinition -an al7ay be "etabili1e" through referen-e to thi
"ionan-e. Dut thi proble!ati- houl" alo be -onte2tuali1e" in ter! of thi "ionan-e. Dut thi proble!ati- houl"
alo be -onte2tuali1e" in ter! of elf;repreentation: 7hat rea"ing of autobiography are poible 7hen the linguiti-
ele!ent upon 7hi-h one 7oul" !ot 7ih to "epen" for o!e ene of tability, o!e ene of being at ho!e in a 7or",
offer both -olle-ti,ity an" in"i,i"ualityE Ahat 7riting of autobiography are poible 7hen the autono!ou elf i not
the pri,ilege" peaker, 7hen the !ark of autobiography the %!ay "eignate a pla-e fro! 7hi-h to peak, an authority in
o!e "i-oure an" not other, the ignature of elf;repreentation 7here,er it appearE B,<
the potential for re-onfiguration of autobiographi-al i"entity in relation to a ,ariety of "i-oure rather than in further
inpe-ting autobiography8 relation to the >real$. 4...6 The !ark of autobiography in"i-ate a "iruption in genre, an
eruption or interruption of elf;repreentation in genre in 7hi-h it ha not been pre,iouly legiti!ate". <
Further!ore, although !any 7riter in"i-ate the genre in 7hi-h they are operating, their o7n "eignation !ay be
-alle" into 9uetion by -riti- 7ho ue the !ark of autobiography to authori1e or "eauthori1e the 7ork. The !ark of
autobiography !ay "elegiti!ate )a in, >thi i not a no,el, but an 8autobiographi-al8 no,el>* or ele,ate )>thi i not
!erely an autobiography, but an epi-,> or lyri-, et-.*. The -rii that tru-ture autobiographi-al for! a a -rii in genre
i an e,aluati,e one. 456 Dut it i alo, to be ure, a -rii in the hierar-hy of autobiographi-al i"entitie, for it i the
autobiographer 7ho be-o!e the ite of !eaning in thi a-ti,ity a pro"u-er of !eaning an" organi1er of kno7le"ge.
456 ho7 a ,ariety of elf;repreentational te2t, !any of 7hi-h ha,e not pre,iouly been -alle" autobiographie, ha,e
faile" at being ai!ilate" into pure generi- autobiographie, ha,e faile" at being ai!ilate" into pure generi-
-laifi-ation, an" ha,e thu reite" being -oopte" into the er,i-e of auto;biography8 pot;Enlighten!ent pro3e-t of
a,ing autobiography for the politi- of in"i,i"uali!. <,G
456 autobiography gi,e pot!o"erni! a te2t an" a "i-oure through 7hi-h to theori1e hu!an agen-y. The
la!entably "e-entere" hu!an agent of o !any pot!o"erni! "oe not e!erge here a the ub3e-t of autobiography&
rather, 7e ee hu!an agent a pro"u-er of "i-oure 7ho ten" to heighten the -ontra"i-tion in the "i-oure of elf;
repreentation an" let thoe for! the e2planation for "iruption or "i-ontinuity. G
456 both genre an" gen"er ha,e been naturali1e"& 456 >7o!an> i a >genre88 an" on ho7 pe-ifi- 7o!en ha,e reite"
their generi-i1ation. /
4...6 -onfeion a a "i-uri,e pra-ti-e that pro"u-e an" poli-e >truth,> >gen"er,> an" >i"entity.88 % argue that
autobiography re-uperate the te-hnologie of elf;repreentation preent in the -onfeion an" "eploy the! to
authori1e an" "eauthori1e -ertain >i"entitie.88 %n"ee", a % "e!ontrate, autobiography "ra7 it o-ial authority fro! it
relation to -ulturally "o!inant "i-oure of truth;telling an" not, a ha pre,iouly been aerte", fro! autobiography8
pri,ilege" relation to real life. /
A Derglan" argue, the ai!ilationit politi- that entrap the i!!igrant an" ethni- autobiographer are repli-ate" in
-riti-i! that 7oul" !ake a ele-t group of autobiographer into >repreentati,e ,oi-e.> .=
Like Derglan", Kirten Aaon argue that autobiography8 o7n !arginality to other "i-oure, a 7ell a it internal
-ontra"i-tion, offer the ethni- an" i!!igrant autobiographer an" -riti- roo! to !aneu,er. 456Aaon lo-ate Mary
Antin a peaking fro! >the 8!elting pot,8 the i!!igrant8 pre-ribe" lo-ation for tranfor!ation, 7here i"entitie of the
pat are "iol,e" an" repla-e" by generi- !ak of faithfulne in A!eri-a8 "e!o-ra-y an" hierar-hie.> .=
The "etabili1ation effe-te" in the theory of genre in the firt e-tion !o,e u a long 7ay to7ar" ree2a!ining
autobiography a "i-oure of elf;repreentation rather than a a genre "efine" in it pot;Augutinian lineage. 456
autobiography8 etrange!ent fro! an i"entifi-ation 7ith a Aetern, bourgeoi, 7hite, !ale elf an" broa"en it to
in-lu"e other autobiographer a 7ell a !ore !ulti-ultural !o"e of elf;repreentation. .=,.
Cay "e-ribe the un"erinpe-te" role of ,iual !e!ory in autobiography an" elf;i"entity an" thereby -hallenge the
uffi-ien-y of a ingle !e"iu! to the pro3e-t of elf;repreentation. The ,iual language pro,i"e" by the -ulture offer
the autobiographer a "ene real! of i!age through 7hi-h to repreent i"entity. 456 elf;repreentation i -ontrolle" by
the i!age fro! popular -ulture an" i!ultaneouly offer the elf;portrayer a !e"iu! for e2peri!ent an" -riti9ue an"
thu a kin" of agen-y. ..
The autobiographer, boun" by the la7 of genre through interpreti,e pra-ti-e, i 3u"ge" in !ore than literary
7ay. .H
S!ith argue that ,ariou "i-oure of i"entity 7ork to frag!ent the bo"y, to re-ogni1e it part in or"er to gi,e it a
e2ual or ra-ial i"entity. 456 S!ith -lai! that Aoolf8 repreentation i -onitent 7ith 7o!en8 autobiographi-al
pra-ti-e up to the t7entieth -entury in that >7o!en ha" to "i-uri,ely -onoli"ate the!el,e a ub3e-t through
puruit of an out;of;bo"y e2perien-e pre-iely be-aue their bo"ie 7ere hea,ily an" ine-apably gen"ere".> .H,:
4...6 >The hitorie of autobiography an" of it -riti-i! -ontrue the elf a in"i,i"uate" an" -oherent rather than a the
pro"u-t of o-ial -ontru-tion an" a a ub3e-t;in;pro-e an" 7ork -onitently to7ar" repreion of the repreentation
of bo"ie in autobiography>. 456 Ieu!an here link the repreion of bo"ie to autobiography8 tra"itional ,ie7 of the
in"i,i"uate" elf a it ub3e-t in or"er to e2pli-ate the -one9uen-e for 7o!en autobiographer. .:
The !ark of autobiography, then, i the "i-uri,e ignature of the ub3e-t an" ignifie agen-y in elf;repreentation.
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