Two elders were invited by this Researcher to portray “family life pictures” and
interviewed in order to acquire texts of their life story with family as the theme.
Further, based on narrative theory, this Researchers plowed through the essence of the
texts, topics, narrative elements and structures, as well as the reflected self-identity
and the identity transition.
The result indicated that, in spite of their distinctive backgrounds, the family life
pictures herein both exhibited some indispensable requirements of building family
such as “money”, “houses”, “family members”, and “other work-related signs.” Each
story illustrated a distinguished theme representing its respective life stages: during
the elders’ arduous childhood with their mothers being the significant others, they had
to strike a balance between reliance and independence; while in their adulthood, they
inevitably encountered dilemmas between “marriage and job” or between “liberty and
duty.” Irrespective of ups and downs, the elders both presented life wisdom upholding
their completeness of life.