International Council for Education, Research and Training

Autobiography as a genre serves the purpose of self-expression and self-explanation. The attainment of self is also a common practice since the time immemorial but it has different ways. Autobiography presents a long history in a narrative form having narrative techniques with varieties in which the author pours his own personal experience blended with self and society. J.L. Nehru’s autobiography written at the threshold of Indian freedom struggle assimilates the feelings of his own countrymen and countrywomen. His main objective was to trace his own mental development reflecting his personal views and reactions having the voice of a typical Indian citizen. In fact Nehru never isolates self from society. The self as an entity represents the society and its functions. An Autobiography has special traits of selfanalysis in a philosophical form where Nehru’s skill of expressing poetic self is quite evident. In autobiographical channel Nehru not only throws light on his own personal self he makes an acute analysis of the struggle initiated by people of Indian society as well.

Keywords: Self, Society, History, Introspection, self-expression.