The vision of what a "life story" entails has shifted dramatically since the inception of the genre of autobiography. By looking at selections from jean jaques roussea's "Confessions" and comparing it to selections found in "Roland Barthes" by Roland Barthes, as well as other pieces of semiology, I will make the case that the seemingly natural question, "what is the meaning of life", is not in fact neutral or natural, but in fact presupposes a kind of textual relationship to life in which events can be "read" for their symbolic meaning. I will then open up to discussion the problems raised by such assumptions, as well as potential sources of counterarguments.

This class is a 2 part series.

Instructor: Geordie Wilkinson (Student)