The two faces of age and the resolution of generational conflict

The aged are often regarded as exploiters of youth, selfishly clinging to a disproportionate share of wealth, power, and resources. Paradoxically, they are also viewed as helpless victims as they fall into physical decline. These two faces of age appear in a number of literary texts, including works by Shakespeare, Balzac, and Dickens. Although these two perceptions of old age suggest unresolved conflict between youth and age, there often appear young characters in these works who mediate between these polar extremes, thus becoming instruments of generational continuity.