Often at the beginning or end of the narration, the writer assesses the past, seeking help from general metaphors. On the other hand, there are many who would like to change several days in their lives. Some lament the choices they have made, while others have no regrets. Having gone through their life, the writers feel as if a circle had closed or that they had come to the end of the line, but for others the journey towards fulfilment still continues. In the case of women, many compare their lives not only to a jigsaw puzzle but also to a patchwork, now lying there before their eyes , finished, an intricate mix of bright and dark colours.
Man earns, woman does The ways in which men and women tell the stories of their lives differ.
At present Anni Vilkko is studying biographies to construct a history of home. She makes case studies of the meanings older men and women, those born before 1930, assign to home, what place they give to home in the course of their lives. The meanings are strongly linked to gender. Men do not talk much about home in recording their active years, when work and other projects filled their time and thoughts. For women, home is always there as a key factor in the story.