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What Happens When We Grow Old? The Elderly and the COVID-19 Pandemic Medha Rao
As readers, we tend to immerse ourselves in a story while maintaining a clear line between reality and fiction. While it may have been a wonderful read, we rest assured that our everyday lives look nothing like the bound pages we just put down. However, what do we do when that line starts to thin? The COVID-19 pandemic puts many works of speculative fiction into perspective. As resources dwindle and stockpiles empty, decisions are being made regarding who gets to live and who needs to die. Such is the current climate of the modern world, in which the world in Margaret Atwood’s “Torching the Dusties” has become the unfortunate reality for many. In her short story, Atwood paints a gruesome picture for the members of Ambrosia Mansion, a retirement home of financially well-off members. We follow Wilma and Tobias as they experience the brutal “Our Turn” movement. The our-turners are a group of young individuals who feel that the elderly are a burden, having ruined the economy and environment for future generations. Because of this, they blockade supplies from reaching the retirement home. While local law enforcement does not support this movement, they are complacent. The protestors manage to stop the supply of fresh linens and force the employees to leave the building before ultimately setting fire to the retirement home. This fiery ending leaves the reader with a bitter taste as we realize that the members of Ambrosia Mansion died helplessly.1 The fate of the Ambrosia Mansion retirees parallels the fate of elder generations around the world. Ventilators have become a hot commodity as ICU wards overflow, and the elderly often do not make the cut. While we see many medical perspectives, there is one voice that is absent: the elderly. However, a possible response lies in “Torching the Dusties.” The running theme of “us versus them,” which lends itself to the idea of the elderly in hospitals as “burdens,” is starkly contrasted by the sentiments of Tobias, a character in Atwood’s story. It is quickly apparent that Tobias is an unabashedly opinionated member of Ambrosia Mansion who holds a disdain toward society’s youth while making the most of his old age. As the pandemic continues to take more lives, governments are forced to decide which lives are worth saving as resources dwindle.
