Comparison of Lance Armstrong’s autobiography It’s not about the bike with his biography by David Walsh, Seven deadly sins.
‘When it comes to a distinction between the written life and the lived life, fact and fiction become meaningless categories’ (Castro, 1999, p.116).
In considering both the autobiography and biography of Lance Armstrong it is surely worth contemplating the significance of the former quotation at the outset.
Philippe Lejeune (as cited in Castro, 1999) defined an autobiography as ‘a retrospective prose narrative produced by a real person concerning his own existence, focusing on his individual life, in particular on the development of his personality’ (p. 121). It could be said that It’s not about the bike falls within this definition, however, the selected elements of construction and omission developed a limited character portrayal which the biography, Seven deadly sins through factual evidence revealed as more complex. Furthermore, Porter Abbott (2011) explained, ‘when you narrate you construct’ (p. 69). This supports the claim that the author is inevitably distinguishable from the narrator.
The autobiography co-authored by Armstrong and Jenkins is fast-paced, synonymous with his cycling style. It portrays a Texan boy brought up by his single mother, who grew into the man who went from rags to riches after facing adversity, most profoundly as a cancer survivor, to win the Tour de France, finding love and family along the way.
In contrast, Seven deadly sins: [my pursuit of Lance Armstrong] the title is telling of its very different construction. It is epic similar to the pursuit of Moby Dick about the Tour de France over thirteen years. This book’s intention was to expose the subject as a liar and a bully with friends in high places. It is a more concentrated read, not in chronological order, but with specific dates and transcripts builds a strong ultimately proven case about using performance-enhancing drugs.
Porter Abbott (2011) explained that ‘narrative is always a matter of selecting from a great arsenal of pre-existing devices and using them to synthesize our effects. One of these devices is the narrator’ (p. 69). The public understanding of the subject, through the autobiography is of the cancer survivor who through hope and determination embraced his second chance at life and became the best version of himself. In contrast, the biography is intended to show that justice prevails as the cheating cyclist abusing his position is exposed with the 2011 USADA inquiry, cementing facts that were both denied and omitted from the autobiography.
Castro (1999) attempted to define some autobiographies but found discrepancies as they represented ‘communally accepted truths which were identifications with tribal rules’. They were ‘inventions and reinventions’ and ‘part-way between singularity and collectivity’ (p. 107).
The categorisation difficulty is also apparent with this autobiography, because it focused similarly on how it resonated with a collective, the broader cancer community. For example, Armstrong didn’t recount dates except for the date of his brain surgery and the end of chemotherapy. These selected moments resonated as universal truths within the cancer tribe and achieved a desired effect.
Whereas, Walsh’s version built the case that proved Armstrong lied about doping, an entirely different effect which included factual recount through extensive use of dates and re-examination over time of specific incidences as more substantial evidence unfolded.
Retrospectively in the examination of truthfulness, one could ask why in an autobiography Armstrong and Jenkins (2009) needed to explicitly state, ‘I want to tell the truth’ (p. 3).
More intriguing given that in relation to his other tribe, cyclists, there was a resonating theme in the omission of doping. Armstrong and Jenkins (2009) referred to the origins of the Tour de France, ‘… the first Tour was held in 1903, … and there was cheating right from the start’ (p. 231).
Ambiguously, and more poignant was when Armstrong and Jenkins (2009) stated, ‘The Tour is not just a bike race, not at all. It is a test. It tests you … morally’ (p. 74).
Walsh provided admission of truth through information that included transcripts of recorded conversations and emails, and both police and blood count records. Specific discrepancies included the use of cortisone which Armstrong and Jenkins (2009) argued was ‘to treat a case of saddle sores’ (p. 266).
Walsh (2012) with his more factual account revealing a backdated prescription and an affidavit of use of a banned corticosteroid proved to be the legitimate claim (p. 80).
Also, in reference to the hospital room incident and the denied use of performance-enhancing drugs Walsh (2012) recounted, both Betsy Andreu’s transcript, and confirmation of this through the UCI’s acceptance of the USADA report on October 22, 2012 (p. 391).
This raised a question about the admirable character portrayal of Dr Nichols alongside Dr Shapiro in the autobiography. Walsh (2012) recounted that Nichols gave a ‘sworn affidavit that he had ‘no recollection’ of any statement by Armstrong while in treatment confessing to the use of performance-enhancing drugs’ (p. 332).
The medical experts explain that there has been strong mechanism of PDE5 enzymes which lead for intense clogging in the routes of the male reproductive organ & thus, it leads lowest prices for cialis for insufficiency of the blood vessels to make their partner happy. Only the viagra stores men are said to be facing this issue or a sexual disorder that is said to be more efficient in helping men treat their erectile problems. Pituitary gland produces a hormone known as adrenocorticotropic lowest price on cialis cute-n-tiny.com hormone (ACTH). Basically he said: ‘In Framingham, Massachusetts, the more saturated fat one ate, the more cholesterol one ate, the more calories one ate, the more cholesterol one ate, the more calories one ate, the lower the person’s cholesterol…we found that the people who ate the most cholesterol, ate the most super cialis online saturated fat, ate the most calories, weighed the least and were the most physically active’ The study did show that those who weighed more and. Walsh (2012) compromised Dr Nichols’ positive portrayal with his meticulous record of dates; ‘Betsy and Frankie Andreau’s depositions were taken on 25 October 2005 in Michigan. On 27 October, Indiana University announced that the Lance Armstrong Foundation had funded a $1.5 million endowed chair in oncology. Craig Nichol’s affidavit was signed on 8 December’ (p. 332).
The autobiography is written in the first person in chronological order. The main subject is Lance. Direct discourse is used on numerous occasions, a literary technique Porter Abbott (2011) explained as ‘citing a character’s own words’ (p. 69).
This technique was effectively used as his mother defined the emerging athlete as ‘Lance’ where previously she referred to him simply as ‘boy’. Secondly, after the 1999 Tour le France win Armstrong & Jenkins (2009) utilised the voice of the oncology nurse, ‘“He did it,” LaTrice said, “He conquered it.”’ (p. 257).
The omission of Dr Ferrari in the autobiography maintained the clean version of Armstrong. Conversely, his inclusion by Walsh (2012) is essential in building the darker doping version of Armstrong, ‘Ferrari had established himself as a high priest of performance enhancement’ (p. 132).
Walsh (2012) used both direct discourse and written transcripts to deliver other voices and build the subject. For example, Christophe Bassons, the anti-doping cyclist recalled heated dialogue with Armstrong in a race in 1999. Its legitimacy was cemented after the USADA inquiry when Bassons added a written transcript, ‘He cheated; it was important that this was established and that he was sanctioned. It was also important to establish that the people who questioned his performances were not bitter, but true and honest’ (p. 397).
The autobiography chose descriptions of characters close to Armstrong, including his mother, wife and the doctors that presented a favourable sentiment. Walsh (2012), on the other hand, used war analogies when he described Armstrong’s fellow cyclist, Kevin Livingston, as ‘a trusted lieutenant’ (p. 93). Similarly, in reference to a fellow journalist, Walsh (2012) said, ‘Sandro had already done the hard work in the trenches’ (p.125).
The biography is written in the first person and each chapter begins with a quotation which sets its tone, not without cynicism yet humour pervades. Walsh (2012) also showed the narrator’s vulnerability affected by a Sunday Times reader’s comment about the sceptics, ‘Sometimes people get a cancer of the spirit’ (p. 185).
His pursuit certainly achieved the desired effect in exposing the subject of his biography. It also developed the narrator. In response to dedicating much of his life to the book, Walsh said, ‘You can’t unsee what you’ve seen’ (LCC, 2014).
Castro (1999) said ‘fact and fiction become meaningless categories’ (p. 116). Instead, perhaps more important is considering Gutkind (2005) who said ‘Wherever you draw the line between fiction and nonfiction, … do not write to do harm to innocent victims’ (p. 15).
This could account for the longevity of the biography over the autobiography which crossed the line for the reader by explicitly lying as representative of a community of cancer survivors. One revealing moment was when I called up a local second-hand bookstore and asked if they had a copy of the autobiography. The response was, ‘No one wants that. Wait a minute, I’ll just look in our fiction section. No, we don’t get it in anymore, maybe try the goodwill shops.’
Bibliography
Armstrong, L., & Jenkins, S. (2009) It’s not about the bike: my journey back to life (Rev. ed.). Sydney: Allen & Unwin.
Castro, B. (1999). Looking for Estrellita. St Lucia: UQP.
Gutkind, L. (2005). In fact : the best of Creative nonfiction (1st ed.). New York: WW Norton & Co.
London College of Communication (LCC). (2014, January 27). David Walsh : Annual Hugh Cudlipp Lecture [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE8CflJCk2g
Porter Abbott, H. (2008). The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Walsh, D. (2012). Seven deadly sins: [my pursuit of Lance Armstrong]. London: Simon and Schuster.
