Care, Dementia, and the Fourth Age in Erica Jong’s Later Work
Issue date
2021Suggested citation
Stončikaitė, Ieva;
.
(2021)
.
Care, Dementia, and the Fourth Age in Erica Jong’s Later Work.
The Gerontologist, 2021, vol. 62, núm. 3, 436-444.
https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnab066.
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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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The Gerontologist, 2021, vol. 62, núm. 3, 436-444European research projects
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