1. The Life of Samuel Johnson
James Boswell

2. James Boswell
1740 – 1794
Boswell was an outstanding biography because he took thorough and detailed notes
Boswell was born in Scotland; his father was a judge
His parents were not affectionate, and Boswell loved to read and write to pass his time
A practicing lawyer, as an adult, his great love was writing

3. Some believe that Boswell’s strained relationship with his own father was healed by his friendship with Johnson
After Johnson’s death, Boswell began working on the biography of his friend
Its publication secured Johnson’s place as a great man of the period

4. He began keeping a personal journal at 22, and continued until his death
He used these journals as resources for his works on travel and politics and was known for his accuracy and creativity
Boswell met Samuel Johnson in 1763; Johnson was one of the most influential men of his time
Boswell married in 1769 and had several children

5. Literary Terminology
Biography - a literary genre that portrays the experiences of all these events occurred in the life of a person mostly in a chronological order

6. About the Selection
This biography shared the same type of historical information about the latter part of the 18th century that Pepys’ diary did with the century before
Johnson created the first complete English dictionary, an amazing feat, which is documented in the Biography
This time period also marked a change when writers could earn a living on their own rather than with a patron
The economy was also good during that period; more people could read and the demand for reading material was high

7. Class Work Read the excerpt and discuss as necessary
Literary Critique, page 327, #s 1-6
Complete the Journal Workshop, page 328, focusing on using reason and emotion to win your reader to your view