As part of the Routledge Studies in Cultural History series, cultural studies scholar Robert Troschitz examines utopian narratives ranging from Thomas More’s seminal work Utopia (1516) to contemporary pieces to understand how utopian imagination has approached ageing and old age. At the intersection of utopian studies and the cultural history of ageing, Growing Old in a Better World: Age and Ageing in the Utopian Imagination explores the representation of ageing in utopian narratives. This is a vital issue to investigate, not only because the idea of a longer human lifespan and healthier bodies is central to utopian imagination (though this is not necessarily equivalent to a healthy old age) but also because the way we approach ageing is ‘central to the question of what kind of society we want to live in’ (p. 15), as imagined in utopian narratives.
The introduction (Chapter 1) provides a thorough definition of utopian narratives, thereby establishing the corpus for the study: a detailed literary description of an imagined, perfect society, attained through the collective efforts of people, and governed by institutions and norms. However, utopian narratives not only depict imaginary communities but also reflect on the realities of their own time, engaging with contemporary problems and proposing solutions to significant social issues. The analysed works are primarily originally written in English, except for two: Tommaso Campanella’s The City of the Sun (1602) and Johann Valentin Andreae’s Christianopolis (1619).
The author examines utopian literature from the sixteenth century onwards, dividing the book into three sections: the medieval and early modern era, the modern era and the late modern era. Each section begins with a chapter describing the key social aspects of the society, significant social changes and challenges, and providing a cultural-historical background of ageing during the period, with a focus on Britain. Part I, ‘Old age and ageing in early modern utopian thought’, opens with ‘Old age in medieval and early modern times’ (Chapter 2), which provides a historical overview. This is followed by ‘Thomas More’s Utopia: a haven for the old?’ (Chapter 3), presenting a meticulous analysis of the genre-defining work of utopian literature. In Utopia, social position and power are based not on wealth or birth but on naturalized and essentialized distinctions such as age and gender. One indication of Utopia’s social achievements is the absence of old-age poverty. The subsequent two chapters, ‘Living the long life’ (Chapter 4) and ‘Age, authority and the social order’ (Chapter 5), address questions of longevity, care and the role of age in organizing the social relations in several seventeenth-century utopian narratives. Age is revealed to play a significant role in forming social groups and allocating power.
The rise of industrial capitalism brought about several changes, including a transformation in the experience of ageing. This is depicted in Chapter 6, ‘Growing old in industrial times’, which is the introductory chapter to Part II, ‘Industry, progress and age’. Chapter 7, ‘Age and ageing in the utopian worlds of Robert Owen and Charles Fourier’, illustrates the influence of utopian thought on the development of intentional communities. Following a period of decline, utopian narratives regained popularity, inspired by the work of Edward Bellamy, which is analysed in ‘The institutionalisation of the life course and the pleasures of the post-work life in Edward Bellamy’s Looking Backward’ (Chapter 8). Bellamy’s utopian society is notable for its vision of ageing, portraying post-work life as the most cherished and enjoyable stage of life. Chapter 9, ‘Growing old in an epoch of rest: William Morris’ News from Nowhere’, discusses a utopia that responds critically to Bellamy’s vision by questioning age compartmentalization. The final chapter of the second part, ‘H. G. Wells, the utopian tradition and the question of age’ (Chapter 10), provides an analysis of three of Wells’ books.
Part III, ‘Disillusionment and new utopian desires’, begins with the historical overview ‘Ageing and old age in the 20th and 21st centuries’ (Chapter 11). This highlights the introduction of extended old-age pension provision, as well as the concepts of the ‘third age’ and ‘active ageing’ as influential factors in the experience of ageing. Chapter 12, ‘Brave old age: Aldous Huxley’s dystopian and utopian visions’, analyses two of Huxley’s influential books, written before the disillusionment with utopian thinking that followed the two world wars and the rise of fascism and Stalinism. A new wave of utopian narratives emerged in the 1970s, driven by counter-culture and social movements. Chapter 13, ‘New dreams, new age? Ernest Callenbach’s Ecotopia and Marge Piercy’s Woman on the Edge of Time’, explores new environmentalist and feminist utopian visions, respectively. ‘Contemporary utopias and the future of ageing’ (Chapter 14) discusses utopian narratives by three authors from the 1990s to the 2010s. The concluding chapter of the book, ‘Conclusions’ (Chapter 15), summarizes the main findings that emerge despite the rather selective corpus.
Through a comprehensive analysis of utopian literature, the author traces the evolution of perceptions of ageing and old age, as well as attitudes towards older adults. Initially marginalizing, these attitudes later became marked by fear but were also shaped by gender and social position. In addition to exploring how age has influenced the distribution of social power, utopian imagination has engaged with the ageing process itself and its prolongation and the social and economic consequences of ageing, such as poverty and loss of status.
Despite the precise definition of utopian narratives provided in the introduction, the book also includes analyses of dystopian works by Wells and Huxley, primarily for comparison with their utopian writings. These examples also suggest a broader potential, in that the book could encourage further research into how fears about ageing and old age are expressed in dystopian visions of imagined societies. The close readings enable readers to gain a deeper understanding of each utopia and offer nuanced interpretations of the texts. However, the final two chapters of Part I discuss several works together, making the argument harder to follow. Providing a table listing all the books analysed would have helped readers who are less familiar with utopian literature.
Growing Old in a Better World applies two main gerontological theories: the lifecourse perspective and the modernization theory, which is echoed in the utopian imagination. Those unfamiliar with the cultural history of ageing will find an important debunking of myths. The book is a significant contribution to utopian studies and will also interest scholars working on the cultural history of ageing. Utopian writers may find it helpful as well, as it highlights how portrayals of ageing can influence public narratives.
The book largely succeeds in demonstrating how utopian narratives have reflected, reinforced or challenged societal attitudes towards ageing. However, its Anglocentric focus leaves room for further comparative research. Ultimately, it demonstrates how utopias can offer ‘a critical view on the existing society and provide opportunities to think differently and break with everyday patterns and established conceptual frameworks’ (p. 212). In doing so, it opens the imagination about what kind of society we want to grow old in and what policies are needed to get us there.
