generic conventions: the traditions for each genre, helping to differentiate between divisions and subdivisions
"I was born in Tuckahoe, near Hillsboroug, and about twelve miles from Easton, in Talbot county, Maryland. I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it."
-Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
by Frederick Douglass
An autobiography is the story of someone's life told by themselves. In the telling of such a story it is customary to begin in the beginning and to end at the present, that is, to begin with birth, and to end with the current situation. This tradition of beginning with birth orients the reader, and gives them a good idea of the time period in which the author grew up, and thus of the factors that influenced the author during his or her childhood. Douglass remains true to this convention to highlight the differences in the lives of the audience and the lives of the slaves. The reader expects to be told when the author was born, however, Douglass makes a point to explain to the reader that he doesn't know when he was born, as the majority of slaves do not. He is pointing out the elephant in the room. He lets the reader know up front that he is not like them, and that the book they are about to read is not like others. Douglass uses the generic convention to show his inherent unconventionality.
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