Cancer, Finitude and Life Configuration

Abstract

Cancer is a radical confrontation with the finitude of human being. The aim of our research is to understand the experience of women who survived breast cancer. The sample consists of seven women with a diagnosis of breast cancer who participated in the Mamma-Help program. We used narrative interviews to obtain a spontaneous articulation of this critical point in the women’s life. In our paper we deal with the breast cancer experience of women from the perspective of the whole. We pay attention mainly to how the experience of this disease is configured by narrative means such as figures, plots, or life story genres. The particular life stories suggest that confrontation with the finiteness of life is a key tool for narrative configuring of the woman’s life. We also found that a substantial aspect of narrative configuration is the stipulation of some sphere of influence over, active participation in, and responsibility for, the progress of her life