What is Autofiction?
French author Serge Doubrovsky first used the word "autofiction" to describe his novel Fils
(1977). Works of autofiction attempt to define the self or truth through fictitious components
that may contradict the literal fact by blending autobiography and fiction. Because they
believe this fictionalisation conveys a universal truth, authors of autofiction may choose to
narrate in the third person or alter the facts about specific individuals, incidents, or events.
Put simply, authors fictionalise and modify non-fiction elements to convey a larger truth.
Autofiction is often characterised by a self-reflexive and introspective style, with the author
exploring their own thoughts, emotions, and experiences through the lens of fiction. Serge
also created the word auto because; by calling his work “autofiction,” he emphasized that it
should be read not for instruction but as one would read fiction.The genre has become
increasingly popular in recent years, particularly in French literature, but has also been
explored by authors in other languages and cultures. autofiction has gained significant
attention and popularity in contemporary literature, sparking discussions and
debates about the nature of storytelling, authenticity, and the role of the author.
History and Origins of Autofiction
Types of Autofiction
The first and most widely understood is Autobiographication. Autobiografiction is a literary
fiction genre that blends autobiography with fiction; it fictionalizes autobiographical
experiences, often by altering them, attributing them to fictional characters or reinventing
them into other experiences. The concept of autobiografiction was invented by Stephen
Reynolds in 1906,[1] and then researched and described in depth by Max Saunders in 2010.
Autobigraphication was significant to Reynolds since he was a closeted homosexual who
wrote his article eleven years after Oscar Wilde's trial, according to Max Saunders. [2] In
order to write about queer intimacy while keeping it hidden from censors and making it
understandable by those who knew what to look for, Wilde and other queer writers of the
time adopted autobiogragrafictional tactics.
I novel
I-Novels, which are more intimate and emotional and concentrate on deeper depth and the
sensation of a specific experience happening to the author, differ from autobiographies this
way and blur the boundary between author and narrator (happend when japan was forced
out of its policy of isolation in 1800’s - causing meji period - but when meiji constitution in
1889 stated the emperor is descended from god and has divine powers - scholar sad -
causing literary climate to be dominated by romanticism, and individualism)
Roman à Clef
Roman à clef, which translates to "book with a key," is a fictionalised account of actual
events. The "key" is the connection between the fiction and non-fiction, and the fictional
names in the book represent real persons. This metaphorical key may be presented
separately—typically as the author's verbal introduction to the text—or implicitly, through the
use of epigraphs or other literary devices. In the 17th century, Madeleine de Scudéry
invented the roman à clef to give readers a venue for her thinly veiled fiction starring
politicians and prominent personalities. Satire, writing about controversial subjects, and/or
providing insider information on scandals are some reasons an author could adopt the
roman à clef format;as well as the chance to alter how the story unfolds; the ability to depict
personal, autobiographical experiences without having to identify the author as the subject;
the chance to avoid self-incrimination or the incrimination of others that could be used as
evidence in civil, criminal, or disciplinary proceedings; the chance to alter the background
and personalities of important participants; and the chance to settle scores.
These types of autofiction mainly emerged as a way to offer a cloak of invisibility to the writer
and to express individuality in authoritarian times
Key Literary figures in Autofiction
1. To the Friend Who Did Not Save My Life by Hervé Guibert,
In To the Friend Who Did Not Save My Life, the narrator's experience of receiving an AIDS
diagnosis is described with terrible, darkly humorous precision. Guibert describes three
months in the concluding year of the narrator's life as he visits many phony doctors after his
friend Muzil passed away, explaining the disease's progression and documenting his many
friends' reactions. The novel outraged the French press, which promptly identified Muzil as
Michel Foucault, a close friend of Guibert.
2. A Death in the Family by Karl Ove Knausgård
Knausgrd, a Norwegian author, has built an autofictional structure. He is a master of detail
and writes about life as it is being lived as well as its origins, including childhood,
adolescence, and the passing of his authoritarian father. Knausgrd's writing, which some
people regard to be sensationalistic, is the pinnacle of provocative, frank autobiographical
writing.
3. Practicalities by Marguerite Duras,
Duras discusses her childhood in Indochina, her relationship with alcohol, the second world
war, religion, love, and the loneliness in which works are created in Practicalities. She writes
about the places that were important to her, such as her flat on Rue Saint-Benoît and her
home outside of Paris. This is an important and intimate work that shows Duras as
Marguerite saw him.
Literary movements that inspired Autofiction
1. Modernism: The modernist movement of the early 20th century rejected
traditional forms of storytelling and emphasized subjective experiences and
fragmented narratives. Many modernist writers, such as Virginia Woolf and
James Joyce, explored their own inner lives in their work, foreshadowing the
introspective style of autofiction.
2. Postmodernism: The postmodern movement of the mid-20th century
challenged the idea of a single, objective reality and emphasized the role of
language and narrative in shaping our understanding of the world.
Postmodern writers, such as Jorge Luis Borges and Italo Calvino, often
blurred the line between fact and fiction, anticipating the hybrid nature of
autofiction.
3. Confessional poetry: Confessional poetry is a style of poetry that emphasizes
personal experience and emotion, often in a confessional or therapeutic
mode. Poets such as Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton used poetry to explore
their own inner lives in a way that foreshadowed the introspective style of
autofiction.
Characteristics and themes of Autofiction
1. Much of the tension in autofiction comes from uncertainty about what is real and what
is fictional. Some details will be verifiable, but others may be difficult or impossible to
determine by a reader, causing speculation.
2. One of the characteristics of postmodern autofiction, written by Jonathon Sturgeon in
a 2014 article states that while high postmodernism was preoccupied with
"hyperreality or unreality," autofiction is concerned with how fact and fiction intersect
in our everyday lives. He notes that in autofiction, "the self is considered a living thing
composed of fictions" as well as facts. Although this idea appears similar to that of
the 1970s, Sturgeon emphasizes that the earlier works were marked by "tension"
between fact and fiction, while contemporary autofiction avoids this conflict and
instead concentrates on "how to live or how to create."
3. Autofiction is characterized by a certain closeness to the author's life, extending
beyond the mere use of shared character names. Typically, there are similarities
between the author's life and that of the protagonist, with a particular emphasis on
the role of writing in the protagonist's life. In many cases, the protagonist is
themselves a writer. Additionally, some examples of autofiction may be seen as form
of autobiographical metafiction, as they are concerned with exploring the process of
writing and storytelling.
4. It has been argued that a definition of autofiction has a resemblance to the german
concept of Künstlerroman that these novels are about the authors' own writing. The
idea that autofiction is about creating a self out of real events, imaginations, and
fictions . Does a book explicitly address the development of the self? Does it consider
the circumstances of its own creation? Does it specifically consider where, in
literature and reality, the lines between "truth" and "fiction" should be drawn? All of
them indicate that it might be autofiction.
5. It offers a cloak of invisiboility to the authors who want to write about controversial
subjects or simply protect their privacy.
Literary techniques
a literary genre that blurs the lines between autobiography and fiction, often employs
a range of unique techniques to create its distinctive narrative style. Here are some
commonly used literary techniques in autofiction:
1. Narrative Instability: Autofiction often challenges the traditional notion of a
stable and linear narrative structure. It may use fragmented narratives,
non-linear timelines, and multiple perspectives to create a sense of
uncertainty and instability. This reflects the subjective and fluid nature of
memory, perception, and personal experience.
2. Metafiction: Autofiction often incorporates metafiction, a technique where the
author self-consciously refers to the act of writing or the fictional nature of the
narrative within the story itself. This creates a reflexive and self-aware
narrative, inviting readers to question the relationship between the author, the
narrator, and the reader.
3. Intertextuality: Autofiction may reference or allude to other literary works,
films, or cultural references, creating a intertextual web of connections. This
adds layers of meaning and complexity to the narrative, while also blurring the
lines between the author's own experiences and the influence of external texts
or cultural influences.
4. Interiority: Autofiction often delves deeply into the inner thoughts, emotions,
and experiences of the narrator or protagonist. This focus on interiority allows
for a deep exploration of the subjective experiences of the author, blurring the
boundary between the author's life and the fictional representation.
5. Play with Language and Style: Autofiction authors often experiment with
language and style, using unique and unconventional techniques to capture
the nuances of subjective experience. This may include fragmented prose,
poetic language, or stream-of-consciousness writing, reflecting the inner
workings of the narrator's mind.
6. Self-Reflexivity: Autofiction may include self-reflexive elements where the
author reflects on the act of writing or the process of constructing the
narrative. This adds a layer of self-awareness and self-critique to the story,
further challenging the traditional boundaries between reality and fiction.
Life of Pi and its autofiction elements
Life of Pi is a fictionalised biography of Pi. The metaphor for the story's main idea, according
to Martel, struck him one day: the tiger in the story would be "divine," and Pi Patel's lifeboat
would represent "a voyage of the soul beyond existence." The novel's validity as autofiction
is comparable to that of a nonfiction biography or autobiography. It includes observations
made about the main character by a visiting author, an interview transcript, a formal report,
and acknowledgements. The subject of truth's relativity is frequently covered throughout the
book itself. Pi is aware that his tale defies belief and thinks that readers could question its
veracity. Isn't simply observing this reality already an invention, he claims? Martel believes
"there are truths that go beyond factual truth, that build upon it" in both art and faith.
Ocean Vuong :
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vu3qwIB6l7z_LJhW6PeZ76TRq4QAuAoI/view?usp=sharing
How should we read autofiction?
I think it's important not to read autofiction as an autobiography and read it as fiction.. Many
reviewers have attempted to interpret Heti's novels, such as Kudos and Motherhood,
as manifestos or tracts, with some even suggesting that the narrator and the novelist
are indistinguishable. Some have criticized the narrator for being "childish" or holding
"childish notions of freedom." However, labelling these works as "autofiction" can
lead to the minimization of the authors' creative efforts and the misreading of their
texts as nonfiction. Nonetheless, autofiction produced by males may be taken more
seriously, despite the fact that it is a far more obviously based autobiography. In his
extensive autobiographical work, Knausgaard discusses emotions, household work,
and more, according. Nonetheless, we read him as a man and consider his
autofiction to be fiction. We consider it important. While reading an auto fiction it is
necessary not to judge the author but the book.
Credits
1. https://blog.pshares.org/how-we-read-autofiction/
2. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/sep/16/top-10-books-of-autofiction-all-men-
want-to-know-by-nina-bouraoui
3. https://reviewcanada.ca/magazine/2018/07/autofiction-grows-up-a-little/
4. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/autofiction
5. https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/what-is-auto-fiction/
6. https://www.storaenso.com/en/newsroom/news/2022/4/the-truth-about-autofiction
7. https://brooklynrail.org/2019/06/books/-Ocean-Vuong#:~:text=It%20was%20in%20th
e%201970s,that%20fiction%20has%20over%20autobiography.
8. https://www.flavorwire.com/496570/2014-the-death-of-the-postmodern-novel-and-the
-rise-of-autofiction
