Care, Dementia, and the Fourth Age in Erica Jong’s Later Work
Background and Objectives: This article addresses the representations of dementia and caregiving in the fourth age as depicted in Erica Jong’s later-life work. It shows how the experience of parental care leads to the discovery of new ways of human interaction and expressions of personhood. Research...
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| Formato: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2021 |
| País: | España |
| Recursos: | Universitat de Lleida (UdL) |
| Repositorio: | Repositori Obert UdL |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:repositori.udl.cat:10459.1/84242 |
| Acesso em linha: | https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnab066 http://hdl.handle.net/10459.1/84242 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palavra-chave: | Cultural–literary gerontology Humanities Literature Oldest old |
| Resumo: | Background and Objectives: This article addresses the representations of dementia and caregiving in the fourth age as depicted in Erica Jong’s later-life work. It shows how the experience of parental care leads to the discovery of new ways of human interaction and expressions of personhood. Research Design and Methods: Framed within literary–cultural age studies, this article shows how humanities-based inquiry can illuminate important aspects of aging and care of the oldest old, which are significant and revealing, but often hidden under the dark shadow of dementia. Results: Newly discovered ways of communication challenge the notion of the loss of agency as they demonstrate that the body itself has the power of creative and intentional capacities and self-expression. Discussion and Implications: Care-related narratives offer new insights into aging, dementia, and subjectivity that can help pursue a better analysis of the “deep” old age, strengthen collective solidarity, and manage increasing ageism, especially pronounced during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. |
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