The old in language and literature

Abstract

Psychologists and sociologists have conducted a great deal of research over the past 30 years on attitudes and stereotypes about old people. However, an examination of the reports of this research indicates the difficulty of determining with accuracy exactly what these attitudes are and whether the stereotypes about aging are mainly positive or negative (see Brubaker and Powers, 1976; Kogan, 1979; Kilty and Feld, 1976). We believe that an analysis of the use of the term ‘old’ in language and a study of the way the elderly are portrayed in literature can contribute something to our knowledge about this subject; for language is used by everyone and the connotations acquired by words reflect the attitudes and psychology of those using them. Great literature, in bringing together in a coherent whole the mental structures or consciousness of the society which produced it, can also be very revealing. We shall comment first on the use of ‘old’ in language. We shall then discuss the way the old are portrayed in the major works of western literature, explaining some factors affecting the depiction of the old, and outlining the traits most often associated with them. Finally, we shall discuss the explanations of these traits according to the authors.