How to Age Disgracefully

Ageism, which Pooley confronts in How to Age Disgracefully, is defined as prejudice or discrimination based on a person’s real or assumed age. For older adults, ageism typically manifests as an assumption that, as one ages, one’s physical and mental capacities decline, presenting barriers to work performance, social relationships, and enjoyment of life. While there is plenty of evidence to suggest that advancing years do, for many, present more medical challenges and potential physical limitations, ageism automatically assumes that a mature adult is less competent, able, or interesting, and treats them accordingly.

Assumptions about aging can affect people of all age groups, as Pooley demonstrates in her novel. Young adults may face assumptions that they are not yet prepared for the full responsibilities of adulthood, while teenagers often encounter assumptions that their youth means they are less informed, have limited outlook or influence, and are inclined to make reckless choices. This is the attitude Ziggy himself acknowledges when he compares his situation as a single parent to his friends who don’t have dependents. Middle age carries its own set of assumptions, leading to the celebrated myth of the “mid-life crisis,” when a person doubts the worth of their accomplishments and looks for dramatic ways to reinvigorate their life or cling to a sense of youth and worth.