The subject who writes about himself and his work: that is the essence of an autobiographical work. The study begins with the approach to the public-author relationship. Here the elements “to whom”' and “what for”, although significant, will be secondary in the face of the author that writes. We argue that the author is one with his work. Thus, when Rousseau defends himself in the Confessions (1764-1770), he is advocating, for example, for the Social Contract. This situation is repeated in four other confessional and autobiographical works: Letters to Mr. Malesherbes (1762), Profession of Faith of the Savoyard Vicar (1762), Dialogues: Rousseau Judge Jean-Jacques (1772) and Reveries of a Solitary Walker (1776-78).O sujeito que escreve sobre ...