Read a biographical narrative of your choice and present a commentary in a suitable form in response to the questions below. Provide evidence from the text in the form of examples and direct quotations in order to justify your responses.

• Discuss the individual who is the subject of the biographical narrative. Why did this individual warrant having a text written about them?
  
  
• Explain the purpose and audience of the biographical narrative.
  
  
• Create a timeline in which you highlight the major events and/or achievements in the subject’s life.
  
  
• Summarise the person’s achievements or major life events.
  
  
• Describe the structure of the text. How have organizational features been used for effect within the text (e.g. Chapter headings, table of contents, index etc)?
  
  
• Describe the stylistic elements of the text and how they have been used for effect (e.g. photographs, letters, diary excerpts, articles etc.)
  
  
• Outline how language and other features have been used by the author to shape your understanding of the subject or issues presented.
  
  
• Explain how the conventions of biographical narrative are similar and/or different to other text types.
  
  
• Discuss any issues presented in the text. Provide an analysis of the author’s treatment of issues as well as offering your own personal response to the issues in the text.
  
  
• Discuss how the biographical narrative could be perceived differently by various readers. Account for any differences in interpretation through a discussion of the underlying values and attitudes of these perspectives.
  
  
• Discuss what your personal response to the text and interpretation of it reveals about your own values and attitudes.