Aging in Modern Society: Representations of "Aging" in John Updike's Works

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K02570
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Literature in English
• Research Institution: Kansai Gaidai University
• Principal Investigator: Kashihara Kazuko 関西外国語大学, 外国語学部, 教授 (90330216)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: ジョン・アップダイク / 老い / 死生観

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study has explored coping with "aging" in modern society by analyzing depictions of "aging" in John Updike's works. First, the study examined "women's aging," and then "aging at the very end of his life." Updike's protagonists overcome the plight of their old age and mitigate the fear of death by establishing the significance of their existence, recognizing that their genes are perpetuated through their descendants, and that producing offspring makes them a link in the endless chain of life. There are no significant differences in views of aging between the sexes. Some of his last works demonstrate that Updike accepts both life and death as good, in accordance with his world view that we should accept everything that God created.

Free Research Field

アメリカ文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

高齢化が進む現代社会において自らの「老い」や死への向き合い方は洋の東西を問わず我々現代人の課題となっている。現代アメリカ文学を代表する作家の一人であり半世紀以上にわたって市民の生活を描き続けたジョン・アップダイクの作品における「老い」の表象を明らかにすることで、同じような現代社会に生きる我々日本人にも参考になる老いへの対処法を提示できた。
人は自分の存在意義を確立することで「老い」の苦境を克服し死の恐怖を緩和することができる。そして自分の遺伝子が子孫を通じて永遠の生命の連鎖の一部として生きながらえるとの認識は自らの存在意義の確立に大いに助けとなる。