Ageing Women in Literature and Visual Culture : Reflections, Refractions, Reimaginings

This timely collection engages with representations of women and ageing in literature and visual culture. Acknowledging that cultural conceptions of ageing are constructed and challenged across a variety of media and genres, the editors bring together experts in literature and visual culture to foster a dialogue across disciplines. Exploring the process of ageing in its cultural reflections, refractions and reimaginings, the contributors to 'Ageing Women in Literature and Visual Culture' analyse how artists, writers, directors and performers challenge, and in some cases reaffirm, cultural constructions of ageing women, as well as give voice to ageing women?s subjectivities. The book concludes with an afterword by Germaine Greer which suggests possible avenues for future research Acknowledgements 5 Contents 6 Editors and Contributors 9 List of Figures 14 Chapter 1 Introduction 16 Narratives of Ageing 23 Social Roles 25 The Body and Embodiment 27 Class, “Race” and Agency 29 Works Cited 33 Part I Narratives of Ageing 36 Chapter 2 Making the Invisible Visible: The Presence of Older Women Artists in Early Modern Artistic Biography 37 Introduction 37 Old Age Tropes in the Life Story of the Male Artist 39 Old Age Tropes in the Life Story of the Female Artist 42 Acknowledgement 52 Works Cited 52 Chapter 3 Losing One’s Self: The Depiction of Female Dementia Sufferers in Iris (2001) and The Iron Lady (2011) 55 Works Cited 68 Chapter 4 “Embarking, Not Dying”: Clare Boylan’s Beloved Stranger as Reifungsroman 69 Works Cited 84 Chapter 5 The Age Performances of Peggy Shaw: Intersection, Interoception and Interruption 86 Ageing Centre Stage 91 Intersection 92 Interoception: The Journey Inside 96 Interruption 100 Conclusion 102 Works Cited 103 Part II Social Roles: Mothers, Widows, Spinsters 106 Chapter 6 Closing In: Restrictive Spaces for Ageing Mothers in Jane Austen’s Novels 107 Works Cited 121 Chapter 7 “No One Noticed Her”: Ageing Spinsters and Youth Culture in Sylvia Townsend Warner’s Short Stories 122 Works Cited 138 Chapter 8 Stories of Motherhood and Ageing in ABC’s Television Programme Once Upon a Time 140 Adapting “Snow White” 142 Programme Overview 144 A Continued Maturation: Motherhood, Ageing and the Serial Storyline 146 Works Cited 154 Chapter 9 “She Says She’s Thirty-Five but She’s Really Fifty-One”: Rebranding the Middle-Aged Postfeminist Protagonist in Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones: Mad about The Boy 157 Works Cited 171 Part III The Body and Embodiment 175 Chapter 10 Older Women and Sexuality On-Screen: Euphemism and Evasion? 176 Works Cited 187 Chapter 11 A Certain Truth in Fiction: Perceptions of the Ageing Process in Irish Women’s Fiction 190 Works Cited 200 Chapter 12 Future and Present Imaginaries: The Politics of the Ageing Female Body in Lena Dunham’s Girls (HBO, 2012–Present) 203 Ageing and Feminism 205 Intergenerational and Paratextual Ageism 207 The Female Grotesque: Dunham’s Body and Parallels in Ageist Discourse 209 The Ageing Body and Narratives of Decline: ‘Grandma Flo’ and the Artist ‘Beadie’ 211 Neoliberal Post-feminism: Evie Michaels and “Ageing Successfully” 215 Ageing as Verisimilitude: Loreen Horvath and “Everyday Ageing” 217 Work Cited 220 Chapter 13 The New Model Subject: “Coolness” and the Turn to Older Women Models in Lifestyle and Fashion Advertising 224 Joan Didion for Céline 226 Cool 229 “An Arty Soft-Core Ode to Pinups”: Contextualising the Pirelli Calendar 231 Pirelli’s New Cool—Unveiling “The Cal” in 2017 233 Ways of Seeing: Older Women and Visibility 235 Works Cited 238 Chapter 14 Performances of Situated Knowledge in the Ageing Female Body 242 Age Gracefully? Hell No! 245 Generational Cross-Dressing 248 Ageing as Corporeal Traces of Time 253 Conclusion 257 Works Cited 257 Part IV Class, ‘Race’ and Agency 260 Chapter 15 “I Become Shameless as a Child”: Childhood, Femininity and Older Age in J.M. Coetzee’s Age of Iron 261 Works Cited 278 Chapter 16 African American Humour and the Construction of a Mature Female Middle-Class Identity in Clarence Major’s Such Was the Season 280 Works Cited 290 Chapter 17 “This Is How Time Unfolds When You Are Old”: Ageing, Subjectivity and Joseph O’Connor’s Ghost Light 293 Works Cited 304 Chapter 18 The Visibility of Women’s Ageing and Agency in Suzanne Lacy’s The Crystal Quilt (1987) and Silver Action (2013) 306 The Crystal Quilt 308 Silver Action 313 The Visibility of Ageing and Agency 317 Works Cited 321 Chapter 19 Afterword 324 Index 329 Front Matter ....Pages i-xviii Introduction (Cathy McGlynn, Margaret O’Neill, Michaela Schrage-Früh)....Pages 1-20 Front Matter ....Pages 21-21 Making the Invisible Visible: The Presence of Older Women Artists in Early Modern Artistic Biography (Julia K. Dabbs)....Pages 23-40 Losing One’s Self: The Depiction of Female Dementia Sufferers in Iris (2001) and The Iron Lady (2011) (Eva Adelseck)....Pages 41-54 “Embarking, Not Dying”: Clare Boylan’s Beloved Stranger as Reifungsroman (Michaela Schrage-Früh)....Pages 55-71 The Age Performances of Peggy Shaw: Intersection, Interoception and Interruption (Bridie Moore)....Pages 73-92 Front Matter ....Pages 93-93 Closing In: Restrictive Spaces for Ageing Mothers in Jane Austen’s Novels (Amber Jones)....Pages 95-109 “No One Noticed Her”: Ageing Spinsters and Youth Culture in Sylvia Townsend Warner’s Short Stories (Cathy McGlynn)....Pages 111-128 Stories of Motherhood and Ageing in ABC’s Television Programme Once Upon a Time (Katherine Whitehurst)....Pages 129-145 “She Says She’s Thirty-Five but She’s Really Fifty-One”: Rebranding the Middle-Aged Postfeminist Protagonist in Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones: Mad about The Boy (Lucinda Rasmussen)....Pages 147-164 Front Matter ....Pages 165-165 Older Women and Sexuality On-Screen: Euphemism and Evasion? (Susan Liddy)....Pages 167-180 A Certain Truth in Fiction: Perceptions of the Ageing Process in Irish Women’s Fiction (Theresa Wray)....Pages 181-193 Future and Present Imaginaries: The Politics of the Ageing Female Body in Lena Dunham’s Girls (HBO, 2012–Present) (Ros Jennings, Hannah Grist)....Pages 195-215 The New Model Subject: “Coolness” and the Turn to Older Women Models in Lifestyle and Fashion Advertising (Deborah Jermyn, Anne Jerslev)....Pages 217-234 Performances of Situated Knowledge in the Ageing Female Body (EL Putnam)....Pages 235-252 Front Matter ....Pages 253-253 “I Become Shameless as a Child”: Childhood, Femininity and Older Age in J.M. Coetzee’s Age of Iron (Antoinette Pretorius)....Pages 255-273 African American Humour and the Construction of a Mature Female Middle-Class Identity in Clarence Major’s Such Was the Season (Saskia Marguerita Fürst)....Pages 275-287 “This Is How Time Unfolds When You Are Old”: Ageing, Subjectivity and Joseph O’Connor’s Ghost Light (Margaret O’Neill)....Pages 289-301 The Visibility of Women’s Ageing and Agency in Suzanne Lacy’s The Crystal Quilt (1987) and Silver Action (2013) (Kate Antosik-Parsons)....Pages 303-320 Afterword (Germaine Greer)....Pages 321-325 Back Matter ....Pages 327-336 1. Introduction; Cathy Mcglynn, Margaret O'neill & Michaela Schrage-früh -- Part I: Narratives Of Ageing.-- 2. Making The Invisible Visible: The Presence Of Older Women Artists In Early Modern Artistic Biography; Julia K. Dabbs.-- 3. Losing One's Self: The Depiction Of Female Dementia Sufferers In Iris (2001) And The Iron Lady (2011); Eva Adelseck.-- 4. Embarking, Not Dying: Clare Boylan's Beloved Stranger As Reifungsroman; Michaela Schrage-früh.-- 5. Intersection, Interoception And Interruption: The Age Performances Of Peggy Shaw; Bridie Moore.-- Ii: Social Roles: Mothers, Widows, Spinsters.-- 6. Closing In: Spatial Restrictions For Ageing Mothers In Jane Austen; Amber Jones.-- 7. No One Noticed Her: Ageing Spinsters And Youth Culture In Sylvia Townsend Warner's Short Stories; Cathy Mcglynn.-- 8. Stories Of Motherhood And Ageing In Abc's Television Programme Once Upon A Time; Katherine Whitehurst.--^ 9. She Says She's Thirty-five But She's Really Fifty-one: Rebranding The Middle-aged Postfeminist Protagonist In Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy; Lucinda Rasmussen -- Part Iii: The Body And Embodiment;-- 10. Older Women And Sexuality On-screen: Euphemism And Evasion?; Susan Liddy.-- 11. A Certain Truth In Fiction: Perceptions Of The Ageing Process In Irish Women's Fiction; Theresa Wray.--12. Future And Present Imaginaries: The Politics Of The Ageing Female Body In Lena Dunham's Girls (hb0, 2012 - Present); Ros Jennings And Hannah Grist.--13. The New Model Subject: 'coolness' And The Turn To Older Women Models In Lifestyle And Fashion Advertising.- Deborah Jermyn And Anne Jerslev.-- 14. Performances Of Situated Knowledge In The Ageing Female Body; El Putnam -- Part Iv: Class, Race And Agency.--^ 15. I Become Shameless As A Child: Childhood, Femininity And Older Age In J. M. Coetzee's Age Of Iron; Antoinette Pretorius.--16. African American Humour And The Construction Of A Mature Female Middle-class Identity In Clarence Major's Such Was The Season; Saskia Marguerita Fürst.--17. This Is How Time Unfolds When You Are Old: Ageing, Subjectivity And Joseph O'connor's Ghost Light; Margaret O'neill.-- 18. The Visibility Of Women's Ageing And Agency In Suzanne Lacy's The Crystal Quilt (1987) And Silver Action (2013); Kate Antosik-parsons.-- 19. Afterword; Germaine Greer. . Cathy Mcglynn, Margaret O'neill, Michaela Schrage-früh, Editors. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Annotation This timely collection engages with representations of women and ageing in literature and visual culture. Acknowledging that cultural conceptions of ageing are constructed and challenged across a variety of media and genres, the editors bring together experts in literature and visual culture to foster a dialogue across disciplines