The American autobiographical tradition has changed greatly since its humble, Franklin-based beginnings. Rather than staying “within the lines” of literary composition, contemporary authors now find ways to challenge themselves, their personal style and the reader through the use of various multimedia. Reading experiences now involve more than just the written word, as photographs, poetry, digital text and works of art take up space among prose. Multimedia aspects provide non-traditional ways of delving into authors’ personalities and that which he or she chooses to share. As the “hybrid” autobiographical tradition becomes more prevalent in the literary world, so does its effectiveness. Hybrid styles, as seen in N. Scott Momaday’s The Names and Shelley Jackson’s hypertext My Body, make for more interesting and, frankly, insightful autobiographies.
Traditional autobiographies usually begin with a phrase such as, “I was born…” What follows this remains in the hands (or words) of the author: almost always, hometown memories, familial relationships and life’s beginnings. The non-traditional “tradition” places all control within the author’s hands. In Momaday’s The Names, he gives the reader a visual from the very start: a family tree with pictures of his descendants showing from whom he, literally, came. In Jackson’s My Body, she provides the “viewer” with what appears to be a self-portrait, with various body parts accentuated and hyperlinked to web pages of prose. The reader’s mind begins to wander from “square one”—one of the goals of multimedia usage. Traditional texts do not allow the reader to focus on anything but the reader’s birth date or hometown, and the reader may find himself wondering how quickly he can finish reading that page. Multimedia creates incentive to continue on with the autobiography. The reader has the potential to critically analyze Momaday’s family tree and speculate why certain family members look the way they do, why their names are different and why his father appears to be Native American and his mother, “white.” Jackson’s hypertext allows the reader to choose where he wants to begin; her autobiography serves as a more contemporary and intellectual “choose-your-own-adventure.” By clicking on her shoulders, the reader comes face-to-face with experiences concerning her “muscular shoulders, molded by swimming and tennis,” and the feelings associated with these experiences. These pages have embedded links to other pages and the reader takes himself through the “web” to wherever his mind chooses to wander. The creativity in these two works makes the reader want to discover more. The multimedia creates a real incentive to turn the page—or to click on the next link.
The concept of finding one’s identity is a challenge, especially when faced with the task of writing a story of the “self”; what makes us, strictly, us? The authors must also portray themselves in the proper light, even if their self-image is less-than-stellar. They must write that which is, ultimately, necessary for themselves, and themselves alone, without outside pressures or influences. Traditional autobiographies state what is assumed “necessary.” Benjamin Franklin shares his life story, his path towards statesmanship and his quest for self-perfection in his autobiography. This Franklin-based tradition carries on today in contemporary, yet strictly traditional autobiographies. His thoughts are self-explanatory, straightforward and he leaves nothing to the imagination; he writes only what is asked of him, from his peers and fellow Americans. Non-traditional hybrids do not limit an author. Self-identification may show itself in bits and pieces, little by little, sporadically or even, just like traditional ones, on “page one.” The multimedia aspect of non-traditional autobiographies helps enrich the author’s self-identity. Authors may not necessarily state what makes them, them. Though the reader may never know why certain photographs are placed between particular memories on the page, he may assume that these serve as an intimate look into the author’s thought process. He may assume that a photograph is necessary or unnecessary, or even random or familiar, but it is merely a tool to supplement thought and memory; the multimedia enhances the author’s “self.” Non-traditional autobiographies are, in a way, more personal because they are more developed. Momaday presents the reader with family photos of his parents after their wedding day, a portrait of his grandparents and a drawing of the landform after which he was named. Momaday may have constructed his autobiography methodically, or even randomly, but because his story is non-traditional, it is not limited. Momaday portrays himself as a part of something much larger and greater than himself. He does not find his identity inside, but he finds it through others around him and the environment in which he lives. If Momaday had not shared the physical photographs with the reader and had, simply, left the written word to be analyzed, the reader would not comprehend his peculiar identity and self-awareness. These photographs put faces to “The Names.” Had this autobiography been presented in a traditional style, its effectiveness would be absent from the story, itself. Shelley Jackson certainly does not show signs of limitedness in her hypertext. Her self-identity lies within her physical self and the memories she associates with her body parts. Her work’s digital characteristics are enough to alert any reader that she has crossed the boundaries of “traditional” composition. The hyperlinked body parts share personal stories that any reader can easily identify himself with: puberty, coming-of-age and clumsiness. Jackson’s identity hides, or screams out, within the sketches of her many body parts. The very personal aspect of this hybrid enriches her “self.” If her “text” had been in print form, and had not incorporated drawings, the story would be not be as effective. The reader can truly see the memories and feelings felt by the author. The reader can feel the connectedness between the body and “self” that Jackson possesses. As in Momaday’s story, without this multimedia, the autobiography would not work.
Traditional autobiographies leave the reader with a look into the author’s current life, as if their search for the “self” has ended: “where the author is now” types of endings. Non-traditional autobiographies, however, share the notion that the self is never “complete.” The search for self-identity and self-awareness is never final, even after death. Momaday’s story tells the reader that he is a part of his environment—if the environment stays alive, he, too, stays aline. Momaday’s search does not end. Jackson’s search does not end, either. As long as her body parts experience things with her, her journey and path may change. Photographs, as in Momaday’s text, are physical keepsakes. Momaday keeps his identity, in part, because of these physical reminders of who he is and what he has come from. Jackson’s hypertext remains on the internet for as long as she’d like it to stay there. She is able to edit it and modify it in whichever ways her “self” chooses. Her story does not end. Both of these non-traditional autobiographies can also be read in many different ways, because of the multimedia aids. In traditional autobiographies, the reader only has to read the story once in order to get an idea of that author’s self. Non-traditional ones make the reader question things long after he has read the story. Momaday makes the reader question his own life’s identity and connection to his physical environment. The photographs can be analyzed in many different ways. Jackson’s hypertext can be read in dozens of ways because the hyperlinks are not linear; the links provide different “journeys” into her identity for each individual who reads her work. Non-traditional autobiographies are not final because the “self,” one’s “identity,” does not end strictly with the turning of the last page in a book.
In both The Names and My Body, the authors exemplify the notion that multimedia aspects of non-traditional autobiographies are highly effective. They enrich that which should and should not be said. The authors are not limited, by any means, to any particular memories or thoughts. These types of autobiographies highlight the universal stream of consciousness that is “memory.” They do not begin traditionally, flow traditionally or even end traditionally. This makes for better reading and more effective writing styles. The notion of “self” is complicated; multimedia aspects highlight complication through simple things like family photos or self-portraits. There is a complication hidden within simplicity. Non-traditional autobiographies highlight the effectiveness of unlimitedness.
Works Cited
Momaday, N. Scott. The Names. Arizona: The University of Arizona Press, 1976. Print.
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