Impairments. Literary Aspects of Body Shame in Old Age
Gunther Hoefler
(Austria)
Abstract
The article focuses on those forms of shame that are based on body deficiencies caused by age, which, due to their persistence, particularly irritate the fundamental orientation of body perception towards integrity. Body shame is made clear as a feeling of loss of bodily wholeness and an accompanying identity crisis. On the basis of psychological and phenomenological findings, it is analysed how literature makes such ruptures tangible in the personal self-image and how this kind of competence shame, which manifests itself especially in old age, is dealt with. Age-related body shame is illustrated by texts by Goethe and especially by those of contemporary literature (by Martin Walser, Anna Mitgutsch and others).
Keywords:
Body shame, identity crisis, Johanna W. Goethe, Martin Walser, Anna Mitgutsch, Philip Roth, impotence, degenerationReferences
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Gunther HoeflerAustria
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