Growing Old in the Pages : Aging in Contemporary Canadian Fiction
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| Year of publication | 2023 |
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| Description | Cultural representations including literature have a significant impact on how we perceive aging, particularly when it comes to female characters. Western literature in general has a history of relegation aging women to stereotypical roles, perpetuating negative attitudes toward old age as a time of decline, withdrawal, and loss. Alongside stories of personal growth, narratives about aging are often also stories of social protest and resistance against oppressive societal norms. My research aims to demonstrate the crucial role of literature in raising awareness of aging and the marginalization that often accompanies it. Age-based discrimination can be just as oppressive as other forms of discrimination, such as colonialism and patriarchy, and it is, therefore, essential to address it through cultural means. Additionally, I investigate the potential of irony as a constructive method for engaging with the aging process, which may offer a new perspective in Canadian literary scholarship and age studies. |
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