Senescence as a Paradigm of Disability in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire

Abstract

Literature is uniquely powerful. The ability to totally immerse the reader in the emotions and feelings of others is what makes literature so uniquely potent. Literature with ageing themes or protagonists can foster a better understanding of ageing. Gerontological works, be they novels, essays, or short stories, like any other literary genre, can inspire the reader and instil unexpected insights or perspectives, though creativity has a serendipitous element. Much of the literature on ageing overemphasises the losses and negative aspects of later life, while paying far less attention to the potential for growth and change. It’s a recent trend that the term ‘disability’ is often used to label the group of biologically anomalous people, including those at their senescence, as socially unproductive. This stereotyping of age-old people is a result of their gerontological ailments and social unproductiveness, which can lead to a stereotyping of them in the name of ‘ageism’. In George R. R. Martin’s collection of novels, A Song of Ice and Fire, both the agonies and laurels of the age-old are described at the same pace through many characters. He brings in numerous age-old characters who are valued and devalued by society. This paper envisages the concrete possibility of subverting the notion of power in society, where, at present, the aged are treated as disabled; rather, they are the abled section of social life with their own existential peculiarities.