This essay examines how Neil Patrick Harris's Choose Your Own Autobiography constructs a convincing and likeable self-image. Through various perspectives, humor, and the interactive nature of the narrative, Harris effectively portrays a stable and confident identity that readers are led to believe.
This essay aims to prove that in Neil Patrick Harris’s Choose Your Own Autobiography readers are made to believe his self-image because the autobiography captures various perspectives on his identity, who arrive at the same conclusion, humour functions as a tool to convey a likeable image of himself, and last but not least, the genre autobiography, as well as the interactivity of the narrative, restrict his self-presentation to his advantage.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Neil Patrick Harris's identity: How does it form and how is it displayed?
- 2.1 Identity formation in general and applied to Neil Patrick Harris
- 2.2 The role of humour as a means to narrate Neil Patrick Harris's identity
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay aims to demonstrate how Neil Patrick Harris's autobiography, "Choose Your Own Autobiography," successfully presents his self-image to readers. It will analyze how the work utilizes different perspectives on his identity, employs humor as a tool for creating a likeable image, and leverages the genre of autobiography and interactive narrative to present him in a favorable light.
- The impact of multiple perspectives on shaping Neil Patrick Harris's identity in his autobiography.
- The role of humor in conveying a positive self-image and controlling readers' reactions.
- The influence of the autobiography genre and the interactive narrative on Neil Patrick Harris's self-presentation.
- The interplay between identity formation, self-presentation, and the reader's perception in life writing.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The first chapter introduces the subject of the essay, Neil Patrick Harris's autobiography "Choose Your Own Autobiography," and explores the theoretical framework for analyzing his self-presentation and the narrative strategies employed to convince the reader of it. The chapter delves into the definitions of life writing and life narrative, highlighting the interactive nature of Harris's book and the central question of how his self-image is established and validated.
Chapter two explores the concept of identity formation, both in general and as it applies to Neil Patrick Harris. It analyzes how Harris's identity is reflected through his self-presentation in the autobiography, acknowledging the inherent limitations of the medium in capturing a complete picture. The chapter discusses how Harris includes external perspectives, including those of friends and colleagues, to provide a broader, more objective understanding of his identity. It also examines the role of humorous anecdotes and stylistic devices in shaping the reader's perception of Harris's character.
Chapter two continues by exploring the role of humor as a tool for narrating Neil Patrick Harris's identity. It delves into the theoretical concepts of self-presentation and humor, highlighting how humor functions to ingratiate and indicate status difference. The chapter analyzes specific examples from Harris's autobiography, demonstrating how he uses humor to control the reader's anticipated reactions and present himself in a favorable light.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The key concepts explored in this essay include life writing, life narrative, self-presentation, identity formation, humor, interactivity, autobiography, reader response, and the image of Neil Patrick Harris.
- Quote paper
- Lisa Thöne (Author), 2020, The Image of Neil Patrick Harris in his "Choose Your Own Autobiography". Self-presentation and Conviction of the Reader, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/1476994
