The Happy Memories Club: Aging with Courage - Essay Example

The Happy Memories Club: Aging with Courage. Lee Smith’s short story, The Happy Memories Club, is a poignant tale ofaging. The story challenges our preconceived ideas about aging. The author uses the character of the protagonist and narrator, Alice Scully, to depict the life of a senior citizen in a retirement community. Alice’s narration is, at the same time, a depiction of her stifling existence in the retirement home and the flashback of her life. It is the expression of “this voice too long silent inside me, the voice of myself” (130). Alice Scully’s voice is marked by tremendous courage, feisty independence and a biting humor. As the story alternates between the stifling atmosphere of the retirement community and the rich memories of Alice’s past life, the pain and confinement of aging, and the fear of losing precious faculties and memories, are expressed in heart-wringing language. The story exposes the unfairness of imposing rigid behavioral norms and expectations on the aged. The Happy Memories Club is a telling account of Alice’s refusal to be stereotyped as a senior citizen, her adamant insistence on living life on her own terms, and her touching regret for the things she has left undone in life. Alice puts up a stiff resistance against conforming to the expectations of others regarding the behavior of a senior citizen. She protests the unfairness of the world which wants the old “to become children again, forgoing intelligence” (122). She considers this an insult. The physical limitation of being confined to a chair is less stifling to her than this atmosphere of treating the old as children of immature intellect. Her writing serves as a catharsis, giving her “new life and freedom” (124). With admirably sharp insight, she points out that people are uncomfortable when old people do not conform to the stereotypes drawn for them. Alice defiantly asserts that, contrary to expectations, the aged are still capable of “original ideas, intelligent insights, and intense feelings” (118). The other members of the writing club allow themselves to be trapped by the roles they are expected to play, and put on a deliberate blindness as a kind of defense mechanism. However, Alice defiantly refuses to obey Martha Louise’s dictum to “Keep your subject matter in check” (131). She relates the rich details of her past life, including her father’s suicide, her own illicit love affair and the early death of her beloved younger sister. She has the courage to explore and accept the various facets of her life and personality with honesty, as opposed to the cowardice of those who “want us to never change, never change” (134). Alice exposes the conceit of the nurse who thinks she knows what is best for Dr. Solomon Marx. The nurse thinks his loss of memory of the Holocaust is a blessing for him, whereas Alice knows that memories are priceless at that age. They are all that remain of what were once the most important parts of one’s life. Similarly, Alice’s language and her teaching skills continue to remain important to her. Again, the nurses presumptuously put Solomon in front of the television, not bothering to find out that he hates it. The author clearly exposes the fallacy of the belief that the aged need to be told, like children, what is best for them. Alice Scully demonstrates that, contrary to popular belief about aging, it is possible for the old to live life on their own terms, and in accordance with their own, unique experiences in life. This is contrary to the popular perception that all aged people have the same needs. She protests the rigid expectations of the retirement home. Her poignant cry, “Now I expect some common decency and respect” (129), echoes the universal plea of the aged to be treated with compassion and understanding, and the freedom to make their own choices. She regrets that her call for personal freedom is termed “inappropriate” and “unmanageable” (119). Docile obedience is what is required of the aged. Scully’s indomitable spirit refuses to be broken. She defiantly declares, “now I intend to do what I want.” (118). Scully’s rebellion against society’s expectation that the aged leave behind the personalities and preferences of youth make us aware that aging is not an isolated period of life, but a continuation of youth. The wants and dreams of earlier life are not dead in the aged. Alice Scully remains “That headstrong girl longing to leave her home in East Virginia and walk in the world at large” (123), even when she is confined to a wheelchair. Old age cannot be cut away from youth and separated from the past. Scully’s assertion that “it all connects” (136) shows this. The girl who played the dangerous road game remains alive in the old woman who defiantly drives her motorized wheel chair down the driveway of the retirement home to the highway. The author shows that one of the most painful aspects of aging is the sense of regret for all the things left undone in life. Alice Scully has been compelled by the circumstances of her life to subordinate her feelings to the wants of others. She has looked after her ailing mother and her younger sister, and worked at the boardinghouse to support the family. She still feels the pain to the young girl who was forced to live “a cruelly unnatural life for a spirited young woman” (132). She does not go away with her lover, Carl, due to these responsibilities. Now she pained by the thought that she did not leave everything and go with the man of whom she confesses, “I still feel his touch; which has thrilled me throughout my life” (135). She goes on to marry the predictable, orderly, unexciting Harold, look after his elderly parents and raise her four sons. The flashback of her life is tinged by the sadness that she was never able to indulge her “serious taste for distance” (127) and explore new horizons. Her desire for adventure is evident in the story of the Mississippi river which she relates to her students. Alice would have loved to be like the “scarlet oak leaf falling into Lake Itasca” (121). She regrets that she did not fulfill her desire for adventure. The Happy Memories Club is a thought-provoking work which has a powerful effect, and changes our perspective on aging. The author uses the character of Alice Scully, and the setting of the Marshwood retirement community, to convey her message that the aged need to be treated with understanding and compassion. The story demonstrates how senior citizens can feel trapped by the conventions and expectations of society. The unjustness of typecasting the aged, and expecting them to conform to these stereotypes, is exposed by the tremendous courage of the protagonist who insists on living life on her own terms. There can be no one general stereotypical image of aging. Every individual retains the unique personality, wants and dreams of the past. Aging is but a continuation of youth, and retains its connection with everything that has gone before. It is a stage of life that is based on the past, and therefore is different for each individual. The fear of losing past skills and memories is a very real part of aging. Alice Scully’s language and teaching skills remain important to her until the end. It is clear that the aged are treated like little children, of small intellect, who are not capable of deciding how best to live their lives. This attitude is obviously demeaning to them. The aged are often assailed by strong feelings of regret at the things they have left undone and the mistakes they have made in life. By using the point of view of Alice Scully, the author conveys a greater understanding of the nature of old age. Lee Smith’s story is a telling comment on the difficulties of aging. Works Cited. Smith, Lee. “The Happy Memories Club.” New Stories From the South. Ed. Ravenel, Shannon. Alongquin Books of Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill, WC. 1996. 118 - 136. Print. Read More