Looking back from loss: views of the self in Alzheimer's disease

This article examines the narrative construction of Alzheimer's disease in three autobiographies. Two of them use traditional linear structure, which demands a coherent, consistent "self" as narrator. The third is structured as a journal, allowing the reader to experience more fully the disjointed nature of the disease. All three create a clear sense of "self," which contrasts strongly the idea that Alzheimer's disease entails a loss of "self". (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.