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

Abstract: 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 hope. However, the essay concludes that the
similarities between the ageing male and female characters far overshadow
the differences.