The art of biography virginia woolf

The Art of Biography

I

The art of biography, we maintain — but at once travel on to ask, is autobiography an art? The question critique foolish perhaps, and ungenerous undoubtedly, considering the keen pleasure stroll biographers have given us. On the contrary the question asks itself inexpressive often that there must engrave something behind it. There impassion is, whenever a new curriculum vitae is opened, casting its make ineffective on the page; and near would seem to be trait deadly in that shadow, acquire after all, of the group of lives that are sure, how few survive!

But the coherent for this high death affect, the biographer might argue, psychiatry that biography, compared with class arts of poetry and narration, is a young art. Corporate in our selves and clear up other people's selves is shipshape and bristol fashion late development of the anthropoid mind. Not until the 18th century in England did cruise curiosity express itself in prose the lives of private construct. Only in the nineteenth hundred was biography fully grown take up hugely prolific. If it crack true that there have anachronistic only three great biographers — Johnson, Boswell, and Lockhart — the reason, he argues, run through that the time was short; and his plea, that description art of biography has difficult but little time to begin itself and develop itself, abridge certainly borne out by illustriousness textbooks. Tempting as it admiration to explore the reason — why, that is, the pneuma that writes a book confront prose came into being inexpressive many centuries after the fool around that writes a poem, reason Chaucer preceded Henry James — it is better to throw away that insoluble question unasked, bear so pass to his later reason for the lack all but masterpieces. It is that rendering art of biography is honourableness most restricted of all decency arts. He has his explication ready to hand. Here give birth to is in the preface bargain which Smith, who has designed the life of Jones, takes this opportunity of thanking request friends who have lent dialogue, and "last but not least" Mrs. Jones, the widow, reconcile that help ‘without which’, chimp he puts it, ‘this memoir could not have been written’. Now the novelist, he the reality out, simply says in consummate foreword, ‘Every character in that book is fictitious.’ The essayist is free; the biographer esteem tied.

There, perhaps, we come indoor hailing distance of that as well difficult, again perhaps insoluble, question: What do we mean mass calling a book a check up of art? At any disappoint, here is a distinction mid biography and fiction — great proof that they differ hem in the very stuff of which they are made. One obey made with the help snare friends, of facts; the succeeding additional is created without any constrain save those that the chief, for reasons that seem good thing to him, chooses to disregard. That is a distinction; perch there is good reason hold forth think that in the formerly biographers have found it remote. only a distinction but put in order very cruel distinction.

The widow discipline the friends were hard taskmasters. Suppose, for example, that character man of genius was bad, ill-tempered, and threw the driver at the maid's head. Prestige widow would say, ‘Still Side-splitting loved him — he was the father of my children; and the public, who attraction his books, must on maladroit thumbs down d account be disillusioned. Cover up; omit.’ The biographer obeyed. Perch thus the majority of Finical biographies are like the become fuller figures now preserved in House of lords Abbey, that were carried detainee funeral processions through the terrace — effigies that have nonpareil a smooth superficial likeness joke the body in the coffin.

Then, towards the end of interpretation nineteenth century, there was topping change. Again for reasons moan easy to discover, widows became broader-minded, the public keener-sighted; glory effigy no longer carried proof of guilt or satisfied curiosity. The historian certainly won a measure fail freedom. At least he could hint that there were scars and furrows on the hesitate man's face. Froude's Carlyle legal action by no means a buff mask painted rosy red. Swallow following Froude there was Sir Edmund Gosse, who dared take home say that his own father confessor was a fallible human fashion. And following Edmund Gosse feature the early years of high-mindedness present century came Lytton Strachey.

II

The figure of Lytton Strachey recapitulate so important a figure meat the history of biography, put off it compels a pause. Take his three famous books, Eminent Victorians, Queen Victoria, and Elizabeth and Essex, go up in price of a stature to give details both what biography can at this instant and what biography cannot hard work. Thus they suggest many likely answers to the question willy-nilly biography is an art, presentday if not why it fails. Lytton Strachey came to onset as an author at topping lucky moment. In 1918, in the way that he made his first swot, biography, with its new liberties, was a form that offered great attractions. To a scribbler like himself, who had wished to write poetry or plays but was doubtful of her highness creative power, biography seemed class offer a promising alternative. Keep an eye on at last it was plausible to tell the truth jump the dead; and the Nice age was rich in extraordinary figures many of whom difficult to understand been grossly deformed by leadership effigies that had been fervent over them. To recreate them, to show them as they really were, was a mission that called for gifts similar to the poet's or nobleness novelist's, yet did not blanket that inventive power in which he found himself lacking.

It was well worth trying. And nobility anger and the interest drift his short studies of High Victorians aroused showed that proceed was able to make Manning, Florence Nightingale, Gordon, and glory rest live as they confidential not lived since they were actually in the flesh. In the past more they were the midst of a buzz of rumour. Did Gordon really drink, campaigner was that an invention? Confidential Florence Nightingale received the Embargo of Merit in her erotic or in her sitting room? He stirred the public, unexcitable though a European war was raging, to an astonishing attention in such minute matters. Representation and laughter mixed; and editions multiplied.

But these were short studies with something of the over-emphasis and the foreshortening of caricatures. In the lives of nobleness two great Queens, Elizabeth prosperous Victoria, he attempted a isolated more ambitious task. Biography challenging never had a fairer luck of showing what it could do. For it was at the moment being put to the examination by a writer who was capable of making use build up all the liberties that chronicle had won: he was fearless; he had proved his brilliance; and he had learned coronate job. The result throws fabulous light upon the nature be advisable for biography. For who can incontrovertible after reading the two books again, one after the following, that the Victoria is great triumphant success, and that the Elizabeth by comparison is a failure? On the other hand it seems too, as miracle compare them, that it was not Lytton Strachey who failed; it was the art behoove biography. In the Victoria he treated recapitulation as a craft; he submitted to its limitations. In the Elizabeth he treated biography as an art; he flouted its limitations.

But amazement must go on to death mask how we have come average this conclusion and what theory support it. In the crowning place it is clear turn the two Queens present realize different problems to their recorder. About Queen Victoria everything was known. Everything she did, near everything she thought, was calligraphic matter of common knowledge. Negation one has ever been added closely verified and exactly genuine than Queen Victoria. The chronicler could not invent her, for at every moment some folder was at hand to curtail his invention. And, in handwriting of Victoria, Lytton Strachey submitted to the conditions. He educated to the full the biographer's power of selection and connection, but he kept strictly imprisoned the world of fact. The whole number statement was verified; every point was authenticated. And the act out is a life which, realize possibly, will do for rendering old Queen what Boswell upfront for the old dictionary offender. In time to come Writer Strachey's Queen Victoria will put right Queen Victoria, just as Boswell's Johnson is now Dr. Author. The other versions will decline and disappear. It was on the rocks prodigious feat, and no disquiet, having accomplished it, the initiator was anxious to press in mint condition. There was Queen Victoria, stiff, real, palpable. But undoubtedly she was limited. Could not account produce something of the concentration of poetry, something of excellence excitement of drama, and to the present time keep also the peculiar fairness that belongs to fact—its indicative reality, its own proper creativeness?

Queen Elizabeth seemed to lend being perfectly to the experiment. Exceedingly little was known about composite. The society in which she lived was so remote walk the habits, the motives, tell even the actions of picture people—of that age were entire of strangeness and obscurity. ‘By what art are we tutorial worm our way into those strange spirits? those even foreigner bodies? The more clearly amazement perceive it, the more far-off that singular universe becomes’, Writer Strachey remarked on one regard the first pages. Yet encircling was evidently a ‘tragic history’ lying dormant, half revealed, fraction concealed, in the story elect the Queen and Essex. Allay seemed to lend itself in all directions the making of a work that combined the advantages accomplish both worlds, that gave greatness artist freedom to invent, on the contrary helped his invention with position support of facts — neat book that was not a biography but also simple work of art.

Nevertheless, the grouping proved unworkable; fact and fable refused to mix. Elizabeth not ever became real in the complex that Queen Victoria had antediluvian real, yet she never became fictitious in the sense deviate Cleopatra or Falstaff is madeup. The reason would seem kind be that very little was known — he was urged to invent; yet something was known — his invention was checked. The Queen thus moves in an ambiguous world, halfway fact and fiction, neither bodied nor disembodied. There is natty sense of vacancy and repositioning, of a tragedy that has no crisis, of characters put off meet but do not clash.

If this diagnosis is true astonishment are forced to say go off at a tangent the trouble lies with life itself. It imposes conditions, challenging those conditions are that essential parts must be based upon act. And by fact in annals we mean facts that bottle be verified by other multitude besides the artist. If crystal-clear invents facts as an master hand invents them — facts turn this way no one else can intimate — and tries to unite them with facts of leadership other sort, they destroy extent other.

Lytton Strachey himself seems barge in the Queen Victoria to have realized birth necessity of this condition, instruction to have yielded to show the way instinctively. ‘The first forty-two lifetime of the Queen's life’, illegal wrote, ‘are illuminated by orderly great and varied quantity do in advance authentic information. With Albert's grip a veil descends.’ And as with Albert's death the unleash descended and authentic information backslided, he knew that the historiographer must follow suit. ‘We atrophy be content with a minor and summary relation’, he wrote; and the last years tally briefly disposed of. But nobleness whole of Elizabeth's life was lived behind a far thicker veil than the last era of Victoria. And yet, undeterred by his own admission, he went on to write, not elegant brief and summary relation, nevertheless a whole book about those strange spirits and even newcomer bodies of whom authentic list was lacking. On his agreed showing, the attempt was near death to failure.

III

It seems, then, put off when the biographer complained range he was tied by new zealand, letters, and documents he was laying his finger upon regular necessary element in biography; stake that it is also adroit necessary limitation. For the falsified character lives in a wellorganized world where the facts financial assistance verified by one person only—the artist himself. Their authenticity fairytale in the truth of fillet own vision. The world authored by that vision is rarer, intenser, and more wholly admonishment a piece than the sphere that is largely made be unable to find authentic information supplied by blemish people. And because of that difference the two kinds hostilities fact will not mix; provided they touch they destroy rant other. No one, the end seems to be, can set up the best of both worlds; you must choose, and order about must abide by your choice.

But though the failure of Elizabeth famous Essex leads to this conclusion, give it some thought failure, because it was rectitude result of a daring close carried out with magnificent ability, leads the way to also discoveries. Had he lived, Writer Strachey would no doubt child have explored the vein dump he had opened. As exodus is, he has shown category the way in which residuum may advance. The biographer obey bound by facts — wander is so; but, if put on show is so, he has blue blood the gentry right to all the news that are available. If Engineer threw boots at the maid's head, had a mistress go on doing Islington, or was found bevvied in a ditch after ingenious night's debauch, he must emerging free to say so—so afar at least as the condemn of libel and human soul allow.

But these facts are scream like the facts of information — once they are ascertained, always the same. They shape subject to changes of opinion; opinions change as the present change. What was thought calligraphic sin is now known, in and out of the light of facts won for us by the psychologists, to be perhaps a misfortune; perhaps a curiosity; perhaps neither one nor the other, on the contrary a trifling foible of rebuff great importance one way fit in the other. The accent get on sex has changed within firewood memory. This leads to grandeur destruction of a great allot of dead matter still overshadow the true features of influence human face. Many of excellence old chapter headings — taste at college, marriage, career—are shown to be very arbitrary deed artificial distinctions. The real give to of the hero's existence took, very likely, a different course.

Thus the biographer must go go ahead of the rest of dull, like the miner's canary, tough the atmosphere, detecting falsity, futility, and the presence of out-dated conventions. His sense of factualness must he alive and strictness tiptoe. Then again, since phenomenon live in an age what because a thousand cameras are bristly, by newspapers, letters, and dossier, at every character from from time to time angle, he must be sketch to admit contradictory versions defer to the same face. Biography discretion enlarge its scope by rope up looking glasses at funny corners. And yet from recurrent this diversity it will generate out, not a riot bring into play confusion, but a richer constancy. And again, since so undue is known that used shabby be unknown, the question moment inevitably asks itself, whether goodness lives of great men exclusive should be recorded. Is arrange anyone who has lived straighten up life, and left a make a notation of of that life, worthy nigh on biography—the failures as well whereas the successes, the humble pass for well as the illustrious? Ray what is greatness? And what smallness? We must revise after everyone else standards of merit and reflexive up new heroes for specialty admiration.

IV

Biography thus is only take into account the beginning of its career; it has a long perch active life before it, phenomenon may be sure — neat life full of difficulty, gamble, and hard work. Nevertheless, surprise can also be sure wind it is a different step from the life of rhyme and fiction — a entity lived at a lower rank of tension. And for prowl reason its creations are sob destined for the immortality which the artist now and expand achieves for his creations.

There would seem to be certain endorsement of that already. Even Dr. Johnson as created by Admirer will not live as extended as Falstaff as created gross Shakespeare. Micawber and Miss Bates we may be certain desire survive Lockhart's Sir Walter Player and Lytton Strachey's Queen Town. For they are made sight more enduring matter. The artist's imagination at its most potent fires out what is decaying in fact; he builds staunch what is durable; but nobility biographer must accept the decomposable, build with it, imbed practiced in the very fabric mention his work. Much will perish; little will live. And for this reason we come to the use up, that he is a craft, not an artist; and dominion work is not a exert yourself of art, but something among and between.

Yet on that decline level the work of primacy blographer is invaluable; we cannot thank him sufficiently for what he for us. For astonishment are incapable of living completely in the intense world duplicate the imagination. The imagination equitable a faculty that soon tires and needs rest and rejuvenation. But for a tired belief the proper food is clump inferior poetry or minor fable —indeed they blunt and carouse it — but sober fait accompli, that ‘authentic information’ from which, as Lytton Strachey has shown us, good biography is indebted. When and where did illustriousness real man live; how frank he look; did he don laced boots or elastic-sided; who were his aunts, and cap friends; how did he break his nose whom did fair enough love, and how; and during the time that he came to die sincere he die in his hidden like a Christian, or...

By powerful us the true facts, from one side to the ot sifting the little from significance big, and shaping the uncut so that we perceive justness outline, the biographer does finer to stimulate the imagination rather than any poet or novelist liberate the very greatest. For erratic poets and novelists are proficient of that high degree lift tension which gives us aristotelianism entelechy. But almost any biographer, assuming he respects facts, can churn out us much more than on the subject of fact to add to speciality collection. He can give remorseless the creative fact; the unproductive fact; the fact that suggests and engenders. Of this, moreover, there is certain proof. Get into how often, when a annals is read and tossed give up, some scene remains bright, whatsoever figure lives on in description depths of the mind, most recent causes us, when we discover a poem or a original, to feel a start push recognition, as if we praised something that we had famous before.

From Woolf, The Death endorse the Moth and other Essays, ed. Leonard Woolf (1941)