Aging professors: Reading transatlantic academic plays of the 1990s

Гайдаш, Анна Владиславівна (2025) Aging professors: Reading transatlantic academic plays of the 1990s World Literature Studies, 17 (1). с. 30-40. ISSN 1337-9275

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Анотація

A close reading of Volodymyr Prat͡s’ovytyǐ’s "Ostannya Polemika Profesora Dobrenka" (The final polemic of professor Dobrenko, 1991) and Donald Margulies’s "Collected Stories" (1996) contributes to the understanding of the Ukrainian and US-American academic play as reflecting shared experiences about academia and age culture. The chosen plays address significant themes such as the vulnerability of late adulthood, the close correlation of academia’s decline with the physical and emotional deterioration of older professors, references to the past and the complexities of memory, power dynamics, the reconstruction of national identity through scholarly research, and the appropriation of ethnic identity in fictional writing. The image of the aging professor provides valuable insights into the distinct challenges that older adults encounter in academia. It highlights the effects of ageism and self-stereotyping while encouraging the development of a more inclusive and supportive academic culture for individuals of all ages. Polemic acts as a catalyst in the plays analyzed, highlighting the vital role of academic environments in supporting the community, even during challenging times. Prat͡s’ovytyǐ’s drama engages with the essential theme of national identity within Ukrainian academia in the transitional period of time. Meanwhile, Margulies’s text for the stage captures the intricate layers of personal memories and the complexities of cultural appropriation. Both plays from the 1990s illuminate the intense generational conflicts between younger and older scholars, emphasizing the distinct challenges that the older generation encounters – ranging from health struggles and emotional wounds to growing disillusionment and the heavy burden of responsibility they bear. The medical humanities framework is instrumental in reading aging professors’ unsettled relationships and the medicalization of narrative.

Тип елементу :	Стаття
Ключові слова:	professor; aging; national identity; ethnic identity; the 1990s; university; Volodymyr Prat͡s’ovytyǐ; Donald Margulies
Типологія:	Статті у базах даних > Erih Plus
Підрозділи:	Факультет романо-германської філології > Кафедра германської філології
Користувач, що депонує:	професор Анна Владиславівна Гайдаш
Дата внесення:	03 Квіт 2025 11:35
Останні зміни:	03 Квіт 2025 11:35
URI:	https://elibrary.kubg.edu.ua/id/eprint/51533

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