"The Year of Magical Thinking"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the concept of human development through different life stages. The paper focuses on the views of psychotherapists, Erik Erikson and Roger Gould, who discuss these changes. It describes Erickson's last three "ages of man" and Gould's recognition that individuals in their middle-age years must cope with major transitions. It then discusses Joan Didion's experience in this area, as described in her book "The Year of Magical Thinking."

From the Paper:

"The changes that middle age can bring, can vary widely: From a loss of a job for a short period of time, to a major illness and recovery, to a divorce, to a death of a parent or worse to the death of a husband or child. For Joan Didion, the loss was monumental--her husband dies in a matter of seconds when her daughter was unconscious in the hospital. Through all their middle ages, Didion and her husband were a true couple. Both writers, they worked at home, spent all their time together, read each other's work, completed each other's thoughts, and carried on a continuous conversation as one person would. Then, Quintana, her daughter, dies, as well. Some people, like Didion (in her early 70s), somehow find the strength to cope--albeit with much agony and despair. Others do not. In an interview, Didion states, "I didn't die. My life has to continue. I don't have an option," (Grossman, 2005, 56). Yet, she did."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Didion, J. 2005. Year of Magical Thinking. New York: Alfred Knopf.
• Erickson, E., and Erickson, J. (1998) The life cycle completed. New York: Norton.
• Gould, R.L. 1972. The phases of adult life: a study in the development psychology. Journal of Psychiatry. Vol. 129., no. 5.
• Grossman, L. 2005. The color of grief. Time. Vol.166, no.15.
• Matousek, M.2007. Writing to live. AARP March/April.

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