The Elderly and Retired; Thoughts from Final Notice
- qsusan
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The Elderly and Retired; Thoughts from Final Notice
Don't you wonder what kind of incidents or slights could possibly escalate Stan's father's resentment till the point he decides to hail his death with a shooting spree? Or what motive or justification the man in the mall, who belligerently pushes Vince to the floor posesses? These are some of the things the book made me think and ponder on.
I do not live in the US where the story is based, so it is difficult for me to say that things are so and so, but neither American literature nor films give me the impression that those in the twilight of their years can expect to recieve the respect that is their privilege and right in my culture. At best geriatrics can expect to be treated as beloved burdens.
Why do you think things are like this? And do you think that the elderly like Vince are threatened or feel threatened- like children and women are- for being percieved as weaker?
- kfwilson6
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On the other side of that coin, frustration, like what Stan's father experienced, can simply come from those physical changes and not from societal views. If you used to run 5 miles every morning and now can't even walk up a flight of stairs, you would likely find yourself frustrated by your own limitations. Not everyone can take this in stride.
Very thought provoking topic that Fleisher presents and you chose to discuss. Hopefully this book will help to make readers more sensitive to the burdens that elderly people are challenged with.
Also-yes I would say that elderly people are viewed as "weaker". They are probably the main target of internet scams. Although this is a reference to mental rather than physical weakness, it is still a concern and puts them on a similar level with children in terms of their naiveté.
- DancingLady
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Also wondering if technology moving so fast these days plays a role.
- DancingLady
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I'm 29, and I have thought technology is moving too fast since I understood the definition of "technology!" At this point it is beyond totally unnatural, so yes, it may definitely be playing a role. I think in general, the older a person gets, the more obvious it becomes that what we call "normal life" in America right now is anything but "normal" in the sense of history, consequently living a life that feels more normal inherently is going to look backwards to younger people who are more often caught up in current trends and being modern and cool, even at great expense, so there is a major point of tension created there.
There is also the issue of relationships. Technology and modern life have really done a number on human interaction if we really take an honest look at it. You can chat online for hours and still feel completely alone and deprived of love. Older people usually know by experience what a true human connection is, and isn't, while many young adults admit to not even knowing how to have a relationship, so the young are actually depriving the old of relationships with them because they have been raised without ever learning how to build real relationships.
- jessinikkip
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I was just reading about this legal form of elder abuse also, maybe it was the same article in the Smithsonian. The book does portray our society's attitude toward the elderly pretty accurately. Our seniors are, for the most part, treated has having exceeded their usefulness. Being marginalized and treated as a burden, is it any wonder Vince became frustrated and angry enough to snap?jessinikkip wrote: ↑04 Mar 2018, 02:54 From the perspective of living in the US, I'd say the book very accurately portrays how the elderly are treated. I was reading an article just the other day about how someone can be declared unable to care for themselves and set to a retirement home with a "caretaker" over looking their stuff. This is all legally binding and the caretaker is whoever is on the court payroll - NOT family of the elder. Then that caretaker can take payments from the person's bank account, sell their house and car, keep their family from seeing them....
- stacie k
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I could not agree with you more! As we move more and more towards an amoral society, we will unfortunately see more and more of these kinds of consequences. I am saddened by the realities that Final Notice brings to light and wish for a day when we once again value the wisdom that those before us have to offer and desperately seek the change that only Jesus can offer.DancingLady wrote: ↑02 Mar 2018, 10:41 I think the number one reason is because society has pushed God out, therefore “honor your father and mother” has ceased to be a command. Without God as the ultimate authority, the individual becomes his own authority and that leads immediately to an extremely self centered world view where people only see others for what they can get from them. When a person is old and can not contribute the kind of things they used to, the self centered person no longer has much interest in the old. So much wisdom and insight is lost by neglecting the elderly, but when the (adult) children are focused only on themselves, wisdom is not even on the radar. I’m seeing this novel in part as a commentary on secularism and a projection of one of its impending consequences. As a Christian I see Jesus as the only solution because no matter what we do through legislation, only Jesus can change the heart of man, and without a change of heart, no meaningful change is going to happen.
- kandscreeley
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- melissy370
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Don't think I can express this anymore eloquently. The one thing I liked about this book is the portrayal of the elderly. Not liking of them feeling this way but the realism of their situation. Their sense of loneliness and loss of purpose is heartbreaking. Elderly are not the only ones with these feelings. Suicide rates in general are high. Where do we go to find purpose? Certainly not in ourselves.DancingLady wrote: ↑02 Mar 2018, 10:41 I think the number one reason is because society has pushed God out, therefore “honor your father and mother” has ceased to be a command. Without God as the ultimate authority, the individual becomes his own authority and that leads immediately to an extremely self centered world view where people only see others for what they can get from them. When a person is old and can not contribute the kind of things they used to, the self centered person no longer has much interest in the old. So much wisdom and insight is lost by neglecting the elderly, but when the (adult) children are focused only on themselves, wisdom is not even on the radar. I’m seeing this novel in part as a commentary on secularism and a projection of one of its impending consequences. As a Christian I see Jesus as the only solution because no matter what we do through legislation, only Jesus can change the heart of man, and without a change of heart, no meaningful change is going to happen.
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- Jkhorner
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I think that not only is our technology advancing quickly, but our livelihoods are speeding up right along with it. Life is so fast-paced, that we often feel we can't take the time to sit and do nothing with an elderly relative. We don't have the time off work to fly up and see those grandparents you haven't visited since you moved away from college.DancingLady wrote: ↑03 Mar 2018, 16:49I'm 29, and I have thought technology is moving too fast since I understood the definition of "technology!"
As a newly-married 20-something, I feel all too keenly the pull to be always busy in my community and rarely do I step back and pay attention to the people that make up that community.
So do we push the elderly aside? Yes. Not necessarily out of spite, but because we simply haven't got the time.
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I think right now, especially there is such a huge gap between senior citizens and young people due to technology. It is easy for an older person to feel the world doesn't belong to them anymore.