Narratives of nostalgia in the face of death: The importance of lighter stories of the past in palliative care

Abstract

My research on the stories of palliative care patients emphasizes the heterogeneity of the types of stories they tell, including stories of illness, of everyday life, of the future, and of the past (Synnes, 2012). This article pays special attention to the prevalence of stories of past experiences in which the past is portrayed through idyllic and nostalgic interpretation. In contrast to most research on illness narratives and narrative gerontology that is preoccupied with stories of change, these stories of nostalgia are characterized by a plot where nothing in particular happens. However, this may be the primary purpose for the storytellers in their particular situation of illness and imminent death. The main purpose of nostalgia is precisely to ensure the continuity of identity in the face of adversity (Davis, 1979). In this article, I argue that these stories of nostalgia are vital aspects of maintaining the continuity of the self, or a narrative identity, when much else in life is characterized by discontinuity and uncertainty. Thus, stories of nostalgia should not be dismissed as escapism but valued and listened to as important aspects of narrative care among palliative care patients, and as a way of preserving the sense of a narrative identity.

Keywords: Illness narratives; Narrative gerontology; Narrative identity; Nostalgia; Palliative care.