Forms of Self-Portrayal in 21st Century

Abstract

The expansion of literary genre with the inclusion of ordinary day to day activities, questions the applicability of classical and traditional rules of autobiography as genre in the present times. The present forms of self-portrayal questions the canonical status of the auto biographer as Metaphysical, Cartesian rational entity who belongs to elite class of the mainstream world. Such claims of authoritative unitary atomic core which has well-defined boundaries of inner and outer self and the authoritative elite status of classical auto biographer are the focal point of the present paper. It highlights that there is a scope to revisit and re-interpret this unruly genre of autobiography with new methods and set of methodologies which can accommodate the voice of that section of society who are marginalized in the name of gender, caste, race, colour, region, nationality, ethnicity etc.