Abstract

May Sarton, whose real name is Eleanore Marie Sarton (May 3, 1912-July 16), is a well-known female writer in America. She has created many literary works, including novels, poems, journeys and so on. Especially in her journey, by recording the real-life experiences, Sarton shows the readers various aspects of her solitary life since her fifties, such as visiting friends, attending poetry reading, cleaning up the garden and taking trips. While in this paper, through the analysis about the experiences of scary dying Sarton writes in At Seventy, and the different statements on the death of her friends, I am going to reveal the relations between aging and dying. Meanwhile I will analyze the active struggle and efforts she takes in face with her own mortality, to conclude the gerontological meaning in At Seventy that May Sarton utilizes writing as a weapon to fight against the fear of aging and dying and thereby enhance the quality of her old life. I also hope that after studying the theme of dying in At Seventy, more and more elderly people will find new connotation in their old life again and then confront aging and dying with detached and calm mentality, which is also the practical meaning of the researches on Sarton’s works. 

Keywords: aging; dying; struggle; gerontology

Contents

Abstract

摘  要

1. Introduction-1

1.1 Reviewing the Researches on May Sarton-1

1.2 The Purpose and Structure of the Paper-1

2. Dying and Aging-6

2.1 The Definition of Dying-6

2.2 The Relation between "Fear of Dying" and "Aging"-7

3. Sarton's Increments of Fearing Dying in her Aging Life-8

3.1 The Death of her Friends and Parents-8

3.2 The Aging of Body-9

3.2 The Bleak Atmosphere in Daily Life-10

4. The Manners of Coping with the Fear of Dying-12

4.1 Writing-12

4.2 Travelling and Visiting Friends-13

4.3 Gardening-14

5. Sarton's Mentality toward Dying-16

5.1 Changes of Sarton's Attitude towards Dying-16

6. Conclusion-18

References-19