2. An anecdote is a brief narrative, a
short account of an interesting or
amusing incident usually intended
to illustrate or support some point
in an essay, article, or chapter of a
book.
3. An anecdote is a very short story that is usually
interesting or amusing, and concerns real people
and real incidents.
Anecdotes are often humorous, but also often
impart a deeper truth. They are not the same as a
joke because the purpose is not just to evoke
laughter. The word anecdote comes from an
Ancient Greek biographer
4. An anecdote is always presented as
the recounting of a real incident
involving actual persons and usually
in an identifiable place.
5.
6.
7.
8. The word anecdote comes from an Ancient Greek
biographer who wrote an unpublished book
called Anekdota (which means “unpublished” or “not
given out”).
This biography included many short stories from the
private life of the Byzantine Court of Justinian I. Thus,
though the original word had nothing to do with stories,
the definition of anecdote derived from the idea of very
brief accounts used to illustrate a point.
9. We tell anecdotes all the time to one another.
There are also many famous anecdotes that get
passed down through the generations that
concern famous people (such as the Ancient
Greek scientist Archimedes shouting “Eureka!”
when discovering how to solve a problem
measuring volume after stepping into a bath).
10. Significance of Anecdote in Literature -
While most examples of anecdote are about actual people who
really did or said the things in question in the anecdote, there are
also some anecdote examples in literature. Authors may choose to
have their characters tell one another anecdotes for many reasons.
The characters may want to inform the other characters about
something that has happened for the same reason the rest of us tell
anecdotes: to entertain and/or inform. Authors also may use
anecdotes to illustrate their own theme or impart wisdom or
humor to the audience.
