Abstract: Although it is the individual's self-writing, an autobiography is not simply a personal narrative discourse. It lies within the great social and political web, thereby making revelations in a microscopic way It can therefore be considered a kind of “micro-political” writing. This paper attempts to sort out the following aspects and interpretations: the politics of the genre, rhetoric and criticism of autobiography. Given this context, the relevant text and phenomenon of autobiography may be evaluated more objectively, and its real value can also be recognized.

Key words: autobiography; political; rhetoric

Liang Qingbiao, Ph.D., (Nanjing University, China) is an Associate Professor at College of Humanities, Jiangxi Normal University. His research interest is in the theory and critique of biography. Recent Publications: “Self-consciousness and Identity: the New Ways of the Interpretation of Autobiography” (2011); “The Construction of Identity in Dialogue: The Autobiographical Narrative of Günter Grass’s Peeling the Onion” (2010). Current Research Projects: “Compilation and Research of Overseas Life writing on Modern Chinese People (Hong Kong and Macao Section；IN：11&ZD138)”, “Research on the Current Trends in Western Theory and Criticism of Autobiography.”