ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that at least certain kinds of knowing may be best understood through the model of narrative. The kind of knowing that is needed for the construction of a self seems particularly well suited to narrative in terms of our ongoing “telling” as well as the need for both a teller and appropriate, compassionate hearers. I explore Arthur Frank’s work in illness narratives, and giving particular attention to the chaos narrative as one that comes closest to expressing the sometimes unspeakable experience of trauma and its effects. I argue that although Frank clearly approves of the quest story over other versions, there may be elements to chaos stories that are important enough that we should not be too quick to move away from them. All the versions of illness and trauma stories, however, emphasize the need for a compassionate engagement on the part of at least some listeners to provide the necessary relationality for (co)constructing both knowledge and sense of self.
