As We Are Now review

As We Are Now review

Caro was resilient to the end. She struggles to fit in Twin Elms, a nursing home, which is run by Harriet Hatfield. Her experiences are listed in a journal, which she keeps to stop her mind from degenerating (Sarton, 2014). Accordingly, Caro’s life can be analyzed using the life course theory that focuses on the mental, social, and physical health in a life span and growth stages.  The disengagement theory is also used in the analysis, as it explains how people disconnect from their social life as they grow older (Crossman, 2019). Caro’s life equally illustrates the challenges that the elderly face in nursing homes. The life course framework effectively and disengagement theory depicts the life of Caro Spencer, who defied the stereotypes associated with aging, such as dependency and poor mental and physical functioning, and took control of her life.

Book Summary

As We Are Now chronicles the life of Caro Spencer in Twin Elms. Caro’s brother John and his young wife, Ginny, take Caro to the nursing home. Harriet Hatfield manages the facility with assistance from her daughter Rose (Sarton, 2014). Harriet is a cruel woman who behaves politely and cheerfully when dealing with the relatives of her residents or other outsiders. However, Harriet is indifferent to the residents and abuses them. Harriet also harms Caro. To refrain from losing her mental abilities and independence, Caro keeps entries of her unpleasant experience in Twin Helms and reflects on her past. Unable to contain her anger towards Harriet, Caro sets the Twin Elms ablaze, killing everyone, including herself. As We Are Now chronicles the struggles of Caro to retain her mental capabilities at the Twin Elms.

The Disengagement Theory

According to Crossman (2019), the disengagement theory explains how people disconnect from their social life as they age and become elderly. The theory posits that aging is inevitable, resulting in mutual withdrawal and reduced interaction. Forthwith, the theory postulates that an individual is ready to disengage when aware of the limited time in life and do not want to meet their social role (Crossman, 2019). This principle applies to Caro as she gives up her passion for reading, is isolated, and is fixated on dying. She is disinterested in her friendship with Thornhill and ‘has no wish to see him’ (Sarton, 2014, P. 129). Caro is counting the days until she can finally die. People who disengage, according to the theory, adopt a new social role to avoid a crisis (Crossman, 2019). For Caro, she immerses herself in reading and retaining her memory to save herself from loneliness after losing John. Previously she was felt a part of her brother’s life and had not foreseen losing her role to Ginny. The other principle alludes to disjunction disengagement when one party is ready to disengage while the other is unwilling. John’s relationship with Caro illustrates this disjunction. Taking Caro to the nursing home illustrates disengagement. John is unable to give comfort and stays for ‘about fifteen minutes,’ making Caro feel like a leper that must be avoided. In contrast, Caro always looks forward to John’s visits and letters. Her memories of John also keep her optimistic. Caro’s life reflects some principles of the theory.

Life Course Analysis

The Future as Shaped by the Past

The first principle, the future as shaped by the past, posits that past decisions have future outcomes. The principle states that the past has individual and generational impacts. A person can have psychological, economic, mental, and physical advantages or disadvantages based on their past (Hendricks, 2012). Correspondingly, Caro’s decision to be independent in every aspect leads to loneliness. Caro proudly says, “Thank God I never got married. Never gave my body and soul into the keeping of anyone” (Sarton, 2014, p.23). However, she admits to feeling lonely as she does not have children nor a husband, who would have given her care or visit her at the nursing home (Sarton, 2014) Furthermore, not developing an intimate relationship with her brother, despite being close, led to the distance between the two. John hardly visited nor wrote to Caro. His absence affected her, and Caro realized that the two were strangers (Sarton, 2014). Caro also despised Ginny, which, she believed, made Ginny not visit often. Her standoffish behavior toward Ginny fed her fears that she would not see her brother and had no family support. Conversely, Caro’s memories kept her sane. For instance, she wrote to an old student called Susie. Doing so convinced her that she was still in control of her life. Moreover, Caro loved reading from an early age, as did her brother John. While at home, reading books and writing her journals kept her busy and excited her mind. Reading was Caro’s way of passing the time and expressing herself. In sum, Caro’s past activities had positive and negative consequences. Although Caro was responsible for making her earlier choices, the ripple effects of her decisions are beyond her control, yet, affect her mental and social wellbeing.

Agency

According to Hendricks (2012), agency, another principle, suggests that people make decisions that shape social structure. The agency principle argues that individuals are active agents in making choices and set goals that affect the social structure instead of being passive. Moreover, people are thoughtful, have self-control, and can pick roles they deem fit (Hendricks, 2012). However, opportunities, orientations, and challenges influence the decisions a person makes. Caro’s decision to burn the Twin Elms alludes to the agency principle, given that she actively chooses how she will end her life. Caro carefully plotted how she would set the fire and where she would die. She would die during a winter night in the bathroom when everyone else was asleep (Sarton, 2014) Ultimately, Caro’s loneliness and Harriet’s abusive behavior caused her to make this decision, “’Am the one who is not trusted,’ ‘I only long to manage to burn the place down’” (Sarton, 2014, p. 114). The fact that no one believed Caro strengthened her resolve to die. Caro proves her defiance for stereotypes concerning the abilities of the elderly. Caro was active in shaping her life course.

Timing

Hendricks (2012), the life course perspective describes three types of time, which is also a principle of the theory. For example, individual time means that biological events are ordered chronologically (Hendricks, 2012). Hence, if a person skips a biological event that was ideally supposed to happen, there will be consequences.  Comparatively, the second form of time, the generational time, refers to the groups in which people are placed based on their age and the period in which they were born. Finally, historical time alludes to significant events in society that shape the social, economic, and political outcomes of the members. From a biological time perspective, Caro missed a milestone, marriage, which was common in women of her generation and paid with misery. She laments, “Misery lives in me like a cancer. Why did I not marry?” (Sarton, 2014, p. 74). Had she married and had children, as was the order of her day, her outcome would have been different. Again, from a generational time’s perspective, Caro and her peers are a group that values family and children. Consequently, they are disappointed when their loved ones abandon them, which further harms their health. Standish, Caro’s friend, is bitter as he is far from his wife, and their children left him alone (Sarton, 2014). By comparison, Caro complains that they are thrown away like an ashtray to be forgotten. Additionally, Caro feels betrayed by her brother for taking her to the Twin Elms as she had hoped to stay with him. Caro’s generation had strong beliefs in the family as a reliable system of support and were disappointed that the subsequent generation, their children, did not uphold the same values.

History and Place

Geographical location and historical events influence one’s life. A person’s development is impacted by the conditions that happen in a historical period and where they live. Events like war and social-cultural ideologies play major roles in community perceptions (Hendricks, 2012). In Caro’s case, the World War was significant in ending her two-decade affair with Alex. She hardly spoke to Alex because of his secretive work and became closer to the wife, Sarah. Similarly, Caro’s affair with Alex could not thrive in her home or the public, generally in her youth. She would have faced backlash for being a mistress to a married man. Hence, they met in Europe, where no one knew them (Sarton, 2014). The ideals of marriage did not appeal to Caro, as they seemed like slavery. Harriet and her daughter Rose equally mocked Caro because she did not fit the perception of older people. In those times, the elderly were expected to be docile, mentally unstable, and inferior to the caregivers. The society also viewed them as weak and burdensome individuals. Caro fought against such notions and even reported the home to the authorities and Richard Thornhill. Correspondingly, Harriet resorted to sarcasm and abuse to diminish Caro’s power. Even Rose felt threatened by Caro’s mental stability and independence. Eventually, Caro almost lost her mind and hope in life. Death by fire was her only escape. Social ideologies and the War impacted Caro’s life.

Linked Lives

Despite being in the same age group, people are not the same. The variability among cohorts dispels the notion that they share perspectives in life because they are in the same age group (Hendricks, 2012). Notably, cohorts are not homogenous individuals and have different gender, social, economic, religious, and ethnic backgrounds. Caro refutes the stereotypes of older adults. Instead of being docile and silent over elderly abuse like the rest, she writes letters to Thornhill and authorities for action. Caro is also independent. She is not bathed and does not depend on Harriet and Rose to complete simple tasks (Sarton, 2014). In addition, Caro is an avid reader. Her extensive reading was in contrast to the old men who could not concentrate on reading newspapers or watching television for long. Caro was also concerned with keeping her memory alive and sought activities to stimulate her mind. She was so stubborn that Harriet called her cuckoo to downgrade her accusations. Caro was not subservient as expected, which earned her a bad reputation with Harriet and Rose.

Individual Development

Individual development and aging are inevitable. Some transitions and pathways are organized socially, which individuals follow. Henceforth, a person should adjust and reinvent him or herself to fit into the present circumstances (Hendricks, 2012). More so, some hallmarks mark a person’s life from one milestone to another. The aging process can also determine the future success or failure of the individual. Caro’s aging was happening, a situation she defied. Even at 76, she was still trying to keep her cognitive skills sharp (Sarton, 2014). Caro was keen on retaining her cognitive skills and prolonging her memory loss as much as possible. Maintaining her sanity, which fleets with age, was paramount to her. Throughout her life, Caro developed her intellect by studying and teaching. Establishing ties with students and friends enriched her character and strength, which she displayed even at old age. Caro did not want to accept that she was old.

Conclusion

The life course framework and disengagement theory depict the life of Caro Spencer, who defied the stereotypes associated with aging and took control of her life. Using the six principles of the framework, it is evident that an individual’s life is shaped by society, circumstances, and personal involvement. The care influenced Caro’s life in the Twin Elms she received as well as her ties with her family and other inmates. The disengagement theory’s tenets help explain the nature of Caro’s interaction with her family and friends. Although she died on her terms, Caro’s life at the facility depicts the challenges that the elderly experience in care homes.

References

Crossman, A. (2019). Disengagement Theory. Thought Co. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/disengagement-theory-3026258

Hendricks, J. (2012). Considering life course concepts. The Journals of Gerontology, 67B (2), 226–231. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbr147

Sarton, M. (2014). As we are now. New York, NY: Open Road Media.