The book “The End of Your Life Book Club” written by Will Schwalbe is a literary work centred around issues pertaining to adult development and aging. It is focused on the physical and emotional well-being of a number of characters of different generations as well as their relationships. An important theme in the book is physical health. One of the main characters, Mary Anne Schwalbe who is 73 years old, experiences various normative physical changes such as graying and thinning of her hair as well as getting tired more easily (Schwalbe, 2012). As learned in class, besides normative changes however, a large number of older adults in the United States experience chronic health conditions. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States and over the life span, nearly one in three American women develop this condition (Cavanaugh & Blanchard-Fields, 2015).
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Not only does this condition impact the intensity and speed with which the normative physical changes occur, but it also creates more health problems. For instance, in the book, Mary Anne undergoes chemotherapy treatments and takes various medications which have physical consequences such as weight loss, mouth sores, constipation and a loss of energy (Schwalbe, 2012). In addition to physical well-being, another theme is the social aspect of Mary Anne’s life as an elderly woman. The author discusses Mary Anne’s relationships with the people involved in her life. A continuously occurring theme is Mary Anne’s relationship with her husband, middle-aged children, and grandchildren all of whom are associated with the different social roles the character has throughout her life. Thus, this paper will discuss the social aspects of Mary Anne’s life as an elderly woman and her family, in relation to the study of adult development and
Not only does this condition impact the intensity and speed with which the normative physical changes occur, but it also creates more health problems. For instance, in the book, Mary Anne undergoes chemotherapy treatments and takes various medications which have physical consequences such as weight loss, mouth sores, constipation and a loss of energy (Schwalbe, 2012). In addition to physical well-being, another theme is the social aspect of Mary Anne’s life as an elderly woman. The author discusses Mary Anne’s relationships with the people involved in her life. A continuously occurring theme is Mary Anne’s relationship with her husband, middle-aged children, and grandchildren all of whom are associated with the different social roles the character has throughout her life. Thus, this paper will discuss the social aspects of Mary Anne’s life as an elderly woman and her family, in relation to the study of adult development and