Personal self-identification peculiarities: biogram “career” (The case study of the literary biography by W. Isaacson “Steve Jobs: A Biography”)
Part one. Apple I and Apple II
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.28925/2311-259x.2025.3.13Keywords:
literary biography, Steve Jobs, artistic self-identification, career, motive for image creation, motive for creative self-expressionAbstract
The relevance of this paper stems from the need to identify the lexical descriptors associated with the “CAREER” biogram. This biogram aims to explore Steve Jobs’ motives for image creation and creative self-expression. The project aims to analyze Steve Jobs’ memories as well as his colleagues, with the “CAREER” biogram serving as a case study to illuminate this iconic figure’s self-identification. The subject of this paper is Steve Jobs’ self-identification throughout his conscious life. Lexical units — such as words and phrases — are utilised as descriptors in the literary biography that encapsulate the essence of the “CAREER” biogram. They serve as the constituents of Steve Jobs’ portrait as a reflection of his personality. These semantic connections reflect the nuances of Steve Jobs’ self-identification during his mindful life. The biogram “CAREER” is represented by two structural components (“The Apple I” and “The Apple II and Xerox”) as they both brightly outline Steve Jobs’ formation of professional identity. The study employs general scientific methods, including analysis, synthesis, and generalisation, along with contextual analysis, interpretive methods, and discourse analysis.
The novelty of the research lies in both the subject being studied and the perspective of the analysis, which provides a solid foundation for a deeper exploration of Steve Jobs’ psychological profile as well as his communication style.
The results. Through the biogram “CAREER”, which encompasses the chapters “The APPLE I,” “The APPLE II,” and “XEROX and LISA” from W. Isaacson’s literary biography, we have identified particular lexical descriptors that collectively illustrate Steve Jobs’ psychological profile, showcasing his self-perception as an INSPIRING VISIONARY, as well as a GENIUS, CREATOR, AUTHORITARIAN LEADER, and REVOLUTIONARY.
It has been established that five strategies — self-presentation, forecasting, control, criticism, and appealing to authorities — play a role in shaping the two motives of self-identity, which reflect the development and transformation of a person’s character. These motives help build Steve Jobs’ persona and serve as the driving force behind his image creation and artistic self-expression.
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