Everyday, life narratives, both short stories and long autobiography’s, get broadcasted throughout the world. Narratives can travel through news channels, articles, books, or even Facebook posts. The common theme throughout all of these genres is the immense power life narratives hold. Our world is colored by these little glimpses into peoples lives. To fully understand life narratives, it is imperative to do Whitlock’s’ challenge.

Whitlock challenges her reader to take an analytical look at their local bookstore and Amazon. The main objective is to observe trends like: who the autobiographies are about and how they are marketed. It is important to keep an eye out for which stories are successful as it can provide an insight to what society is interested in hearing.

One memoir that caught my eye is Hilary Clinton’s Hard Choices: A Memoir. Peering down on me from the top shelf is a firm, but kind looking Clinton in front of a soft grey background. Clinton is put together, but not too flashy; she looks mature. On the Cover is a quote from The Guardian that encompasses what the whole back cover of the book (littered with various quotes) tries to say: Clinton managed to tell a well written, intriguing story.

Things start to get interesting when I cross-referenced the hard cover with the online version. The bookstore version was a re-release from the original version published a year ago (the version I found online). The old cover is black and white, Clinton is smiling but somehow seems less at ease. Each version of the book was published under very different circumstances, but both are meant to gain public favor and ultimately increase votes. In 2014, Hilary Clinton was not yet a presidential candidate. She was a politician that needed to start improving her public image and get her name on the forefront of the mind of America. It is not a coincidence that Clinton announced her bid for presidency and republished her memoir in the same month, April of 2015. As a full fledged candidate for president, Clinton needs to promote a new image. In an article written by the New York Times, Clinton wants to “highlight that she is a grandmother and trumpet her chance to make history.” She wants to be perceived as a comfortable, confident woman. This idea is mirrored in the second cover, Clinton is looking steadfast into the future, in full color and not apologizing for it.

Prominent members of society use the release of a life narrative to increase the amount of publicity around them. In fact, politicians, celebrities, religious figures, anyone who is a “house-hold name” dominated most of the space in the non-fiction section of the bookstore. Rarely did I see a book from an immigrant or for that matter, someone who wasn’t white and from the West. I find it disheartening that in an age where there are so many stories to be told, all the publicity goes towards making sure a republished memoir is successful. There needs to be a collective effort to make the stories of the oppressed are heard. It is time to capitalize on the power of life narratives and increase the variety of subjects being heard.

Citation:

Chozick, Amy. “Hillary Clinton Announces 2016 Presidential Bid.” The New York Times. N.P. 12 April 2015. Web. 2 Oct 2015.