Friendship refers to a co-operative and supportive behavior between two or more humans. Friendships are an integral part of every individual's life as it helps you grow as a person and makes you look at the world in a different way. The process of making friends begins from when you are a child and continues on throughout old age. As an individual grows older, they become wiser in choosing friends and thus feel more satisfied with their companions. Old women's friendships have many valuable functions to offer that can fill the emptiness and loneliness that older women may experience in their later lives. Such experiences can include divorce or the death of a spouse. This is the time when old women most need a friend which can help them overcome their feelings of depression and solitude. Thus, friendships are important in later life as it opens the door to new experiences and offers emotional support when deemed necessary.
Cover of the 1966 Avon Books paperback edition of ...
Ain Janna
Schoenfeld Janna 1In this paper, I will use: The Last Gift of Time by Carolyn Heilbrun to analyze the theme of friendship among old women which is evident in The Diary of a Good Neighbor by Doris Lessing to demonstrate how friendships among older women are significant as they provide a way for older women to connect to other women, and gain a sense of self-worth and belonging in the world but can nonetheless bring stress and conflict to a women who are providing these valuable resources.
To start off I will provide a brief summary on my two chosen texts. In the collection of essays The Last Gift of Time, Carolyn at age 60 begins to realize that aging does not have to be a negative experience. She begins to appreciate the many pleasures and joys that the golden years have brought...