A Different Form of "Self": Narrative Style in British Nineteenth-Century Working-class Autobiography

Abstract

Although autobiography, especially works by obscure people, has become popular, literary critics have ignored the rhetorical or literary devices used by nineteenth-century British working-class autobiographers. However, what seems to be an absence of rhetorical flourishes or personal style is a reflection of political and social reality. The plain narratives in which they emphasize repeatedly their truthfulness aptly parallel their lives and serve their purpose to promote social concerns to outsiders.