As a result of my taking a Missions Perspectives class this semester, I am responsible for writing several brief biographies about several notable men who made great contributions to the world of global evangelism. Although this is an exciting enterprise, I recognize that the style and content of the work that I produce will profoundly affect the grades that I receive. Moreover, some aspect of the biography needs to intrigue my audience. For this reason, I have given thought to what factors could make could make essays about the life of an individual more interesting. While there are many, I think referencing interesting facts from the subject’s childhood could make a biography particularly captivating.
It goes without saying that your subject’s childhood should not dominate the biography that you write. Clearly, the significant contributions that your subject has made to the world as an adult are important. Becoming the president, building an orphanage, or finding a cure for polio are all formidable feats. At the same time, however, audiences are often drawn to aspects of the biography that increase their understanding of the subject’s fundamental humanity. And sharing personal facts about her or his childhood does this very thing. Recently, I wrote a biography about Luther Rice in which I spent considerable time referencing various aspects of his childhood. The first paragraph read thus:
Born in 1783 in Northborough, Massachusetts, Rice was the ninth child of his family. The youngest of all his brothers, Rice spent his youth involved in pastimes such as wrestling and also worked around the family’s farm. Because he lived in New England during the close of the 1700s, Rice came of age in an area where notable figures such as Benjamin Franklin, John Quincy Adams, and John Hancock passed through. At the age of six, young Rice saw President George Washington ride through his town with a procession led by his own father.
Here, I draw attention to an aspect of Rice’s existence that many people can relate to-the fact that his childhood was marked by work and play. Indeed, my references to the fact that he engaged in pastimes like wrestling and helped out on the family farm make these realities plain. Additionally, I discuss the fact that Rice saw several notable political figures-such as Benjamin Franklin and George Washington-make their way through the town where he lived. This reference is doubly effective. First, it plays into the audience’s desire for a story marked by unusual events. Second, it articulates a seeming universal aspect of human existence-a child’s early exposure to various dimensions of the adult world. In this case, that dimension is the presence and activity of government officials.
As made plain by the examples above, referencing various experiences that happened in your subject’s childhood can make your biography interesting. This is the case because doing so usually taps into some aspect of humanity that your reader can relate to. Additionally, the childhood of your subject is likely to contain at least one exciting event that your audience will be interested to learn more about. For these reasons, making the early years of your subject’s life a part of your biography can contribute to it generating reader interest. Good luck!
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