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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
http://hdl.handle.net/2451/31346
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| Title: | Sweet Old things and Dirty Old Men: The Vices and Virtues of Old Age in
Muriel Spark's Memnto Mori |
| Authors: | England, Suzanne
Rust, Martha |
| Keywords: | Ageing, aging theory, old age, death, memento mori, Muriel Spark,
narrative, interdisciplinary, caregiving, dependency, nursing home,
elderly, frailty, memory decline, domestic space, morality, moral
development, moral career, virtues, vices, institutions, self agency,
critical gerontology, medieval studies, elder care systems, gender,
class, will, gerontologist, ethics |
| Issue Date: | 10-Dec-2011 |
| Abstract: | Inspired by William F. May’s writings on the vices and virtues of
the elderly we offer our reflections on his ideas as they are revealed
by Muriel Spark’s novel, Memento Mori.. May argues that exempting
the old from moral criticism positions them as “moral
nonentities” and relieves the old, their caretakers, and society
of moral responsibility. We, the coauthors of this paper, are from two
different disciplines, namely Renaissance and medieval literature
(Martha Rust), and social work and critical gerontology (Suzanne
England). We offer our individual readings of the ways the novel
illustrates May’s ideas, and conclude with our thoughts about how
our collaboration opened up space in our own thinking and for continuing
cross-disciplinary dialogue. |
| Description: | Paper presented at Theorizing Age, Maastricht, ND, Oct. 4, 2011 |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/2451/31346 |
| Appears in Collections: | Suzanne England's Collection
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