Gender and ageing characters in literature: similarities and differences between male and female conceptions of ageing

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This essay examines how ageing characters are portrayed in literature. The purpose is to find out if ageing is depicted differently for women than for men, and if so, in which respects. The books used for this analysis are: J.M. Coetzee's Disgrace, Philip Roth's The Dying Animal, and Doris Lessing's The Summer Before the Dark and Love, Again. Two of these books have female protagonists, and two have male. Different areas are examined. The first chapter discusses how the characters response to their changing identities and role loss in life, a subject that shows great similarities between the male respectively female characters. The two following chapters discuss ageing in relation to the characters' sexuality and how their view upon ageing is shaped by their relationships with younger partners. These areas demonstrate both important differences as well as similarities between the male and female protagonists. Finally, the last chapter explains how the ageing process helps the characters to redefine their personalities and accept their new aged identities. The male characters tend to show more signs of hopelessness, while the female characters seem to respond to their crises with renewed strength and...