IVC Confucius The Sage of Benevolence and Virtue Short Biography

Write a short biography, of 3-4 pages, in the style of Ssu-ma Ch’ien. Write about a historical figure with whom you are familiar, for example someone from US history or the history of your home country(China), dead or still living. Like Ssu-ma Ch’ien, you need not restrict your subject to politicians, military figures, etc. (in other words, figures from popular culture are also certainly acceptable), but your subject should be someone famous enough that the instructor grading the assignment knows about him or her.

In writing your biography, you should try to convey a sense of the historian’s (yourself) attitude to the subject. This can be achieved in two ways: a) through narrative techniques like dialogue, dramatic situations, etc.; b) direct moralizing intervention at the end of the biography. It might help if you refer to the five points outlined in class. Do NOT try to cover the person’s entire life; focus instead on a few important incidents or events that bring out the character, especially the moral character, of your subject.