The Portrayal of Barack Obama

The Portrayal of BARACK OBAMA

Barack Obama is the most prominent world leader, seen a visionary by some and as a socialist by others, although the power and influence he wields is unchallenged. As one of the most visible and well known people on the planet it is unsurprising the interest that the public holds for Obama, which has lead many to try and document and dissect his life. People want to know more for several reasons first and foremost relate to evaluating his stance on major political issues, yet there are other key interests such as; how he came to be in a position of such power, why is he such a strong leader, what are his motivations, as well as the more basic interest in his personal life.

‘Dreams From My Father', documents Barack Obama's search for an identity and struggle to find meaning in his life. In his introduction Obama says that regardless of the categorization of Dream From My Father, (whether it be autobiography, memoir, family history or something else entirely), that he has tried to "write an honest account of a particular province of my account."(Obama, Dreams of My Father, pg xvii).

It becomes clear almost immediately from his writing style and his penchant for anecdotes that Obama relishes the role of storyteller and that Dreams From My Father is as much a piece written to engage and entertain readers as it is written to factually document his life. There's no doubt as to his skill as a writer and his ability to transcribe the richness of his personal history while also relating it the history of all Americans. For someone who we now know as President of the United States he is remarkably candid, specially on how his views have been formed, his fluctuating view of his father and his struggle to resolve his inner racial conflict.

"Barack is who he says he is. There is no mystery there… unlike other candidates he has really exposed himself, pre political ambition… without intent." – Michelle Obama

It is emotional and delves deep into Obama's thoughts in a way that no other account could. Therein lies the treasure of autobiographies in comparison to biographies; they can give an emotional and mental context to events that otherwise we could only guess at.

Dreams From My Father is far from the only text that discusses Obama's pre political life and there have been numerous articles, biographies and books that have mapped Obama's ascent, little as comprehensively as Pulitzer Prize winning journalist David Remnick's in ‘The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama'. Remnick approaches Obama with impartiality long sought after but rarely attained. Unlike in Dreams From My Father where the framework is Obama's narrative of personal development The Bridge tells Obama's story by documenting the events of Obama's life