Philip Roth's works delve into the theme of aging, particularly male aging. Through the funeral and death of an ordinary male, "Mortal Man" showcases the aging dilemma faced by men in modern society and the importance of elderly care. The novel depicts the impact of medical care, women's care, and group care on male aging experience, while exploring the relationship between elderly care and end-of-life ethics. Ross guides readers to reflect on the meaning and potential of care in a secularized society through "Mortal Man".

The Aging 'Ordinary Body' and Medical Care

Explored the narrative of male aging and medical care in Ross's novel "Mortal Man". Bailey regards the novel as a 'disease history', describing in detail the diseases encountered by the protagonist during his aging process through the narrator. Ross emphasized the importance of illness because modern people have different life experiences from the Middle Ages and are more familiar with medical issues. Mortal "is the same name as a medieval morality drama, in which the protagonist faces the threat of death, while modern mortals benefit from medical technology and live to the age of rare. The development of medical technology has extended human lifespan and prolonged the time spent with the body. The story in 'Mortal Man' focuses on the life and death of the physical body, rather than religious redemption. Medical care has become a source of hope for modern people, promising to improve health through lifestyle management. The emergencies of ordinary people in their youth benefit from medical care to survive, but in old age, the need for medical care becomes urgent and the body becomes fragile. Atherosclerosis and other chronic diseases provide opportunities for medical intervention. Mortals frequently undergo surgery, and the body becomes a "warehouse" for storing artificial organs. This reflects the excessive dependence of elderly people on medical care, who would rather have their bodies alienated than maintain functioning. In modern society, a "new chronic pattern" has emerged, focusing on the immortal present rather than the end. Medical care opens up the time gap for patients and paves the way for escape, but humans cannot change the fate of death in the physical body. Elderly patients have physical and emotional separation, and medical care focuses on the fragility of the physical body while neglecting emotional needs. Foucault pointed out that after the birth of clinical medicine, doctors focused on body parts rather than patient feelings. The surgical experience of ordinary people demonstrates the limitations of medical care, integrating the fear of military violence into the medical experience. Deaths in wars and terrorist attacks have become easy, and the fear and anxiety caused by them are difficult to detect in modern medical care. Ross depicts the aging process of modern people as a frequent intervention of medical care in their physical lives, and behind the elderly's dependence on medical care lies fear and anxiety. Aging not only occurs at the physical level, but also at the emotional level. From the perspective of emotional support, examining elderly care reveals forms of elderly care that touch upon other dimensions of modern American male aging.

Aging 'ordinary people' and women's care

By analyzing the protagonist Mortal in Ross's "Mortal", this paper explores the relationship between male aging and female care. Ordinary people feel lonely and helpless before surgery, highlighting their emotional dependence on caring for others. Women have played an important role in the history of caring for mortals, especially mothers. Their care has brought mortals back to infancy, reflecting the most primitive dependence of humanity. However, as an adult, the relationship between a mortal and other women is completely different from that of a mother. He exhibits a sense of superiority towards women, which contrasts with his passivity and vulnerability in front of his mother. Care ethicist Tronto pointed out that care is gendered, and in patriarchal societies, women become the default caregivers while men become the recipients of care. Ross focuses on how masculinity persists in the struggle with feminine care, revealing the rejection of traditional masculinity towards aging. The second wife of mortals explains the difference between male aging and female aging, pointing out that men pursue passion while women are more practical. Ordinary people believe that sexual conquest can give them a sense of individuality, but the fragility of old age makes them more susceptible to female care, weakening their independence and self-control. American sociologist Kimmel pointed out that American men, influenced by the culture of masculinity, uphold independence and autonomy, and fear being dominated by others. Ordinary people adopt an escape strategy, when their wives are no longer the object of sexual desire, they turn to seeking passion outside of marriage. In Ross's works, men only seek care from women without giving, which not only suspends the principle of reciprocal exchange of care, but also reinforces gender power imbalance. The second wife of a mortal discovers that she always needs to respond based on incomplete information, which is a form of oppression and insult from men towards women. The contempt of mortals for the ethics of care has sparked resistance from female caregivers, some of whom attack mortals and some withdraw from their lives. In the end, mortals bear the pain of illness alone and lament the loss of feminine care. The disharmony between masculine temperament and feminine care leads to the withdrawal of feminine care from men's lives. With the onset of aging, the gradual disintegration of masculinity is inevitable. Older men often find it difficult to abandon their admiration for masculinity, as they tend to conceal their vulnerability and show a tendency towards dependency. This is a disregard for the ethics of care, and when reflected in concrete behavior, it is a disregard for women's care. The erosion of time and the lack of female care have made male strength hesitant, restrained, humble, ravaged, and completely defeated. Ross writes about male aging from the perspective of ethical care, revealing that aging, as an emotional process, carries ethical changes that occur both between individuals and between individuals and groups.

Aging 'everyone' and collective care

Explored the needs of male individuals for female care during the aging process, as well as the impact of social gender norms on men's acceptance of care. With the intervention of medical care, men's demand for women's care has not decreased, but has instead exacerbated the crisis of gender identity. In the context of the "9/11" incident, ordinary people choose to enter society after retirement, attempting to establish connections with others through group elderly care and overcome emotional difficulties. As a part of collective care, retirement villages provide additional care housing models, and elderly people enhance their connections and integrate into elderly life by participating in community activities. However, aging and disease have become the main topics of their communication, and when seriously ill, these connections are difficult to provide substantial help. Kramer's story shows that the connection with old friends and family carries greater power. Ordinary people realize that the retirement village cannot meet the demand for intimate relationships, and decide to go home and live with their daughter to bear the family expenses, while their daughter provides care. He gradually realized that caring was a mutually beneficial act, but his ex-wife's stroke foiled the plan. Faced with changes, ordinary people accept them calmly and realize that their plans are unfair. He visited his bedridden ex-wife, exchanged identities, and transformed from a man seeking care to a person providing care. The awareness of caring ethics influenced his interactions with former colleagues, and he reminisced about the past with them, feeling that old age was a massacre. Ordinary people, through their own vulnerability, see the vulnerability of others and develop a sense of responsibility and belonging. Aging is manifested in the turbulence of physical and ethical relationships, and the power of caring ethics enables everyone to find their place in social relationships. Ross emphasizes the presence of death and explores the possibility of achieving a good ending through care.

Dead 'mortals' and elderly care oriented towards life connection

In depth exploration of the multiple connotations of death in Mortal Man, including its role as a symbol of natural violence, collapse of existence, and the ethical termination of individual responsibility and ethical relationships. Through the dreams of mortals, it reveals their fear of death and how this fear affects their relationships with their loved ones. The chapter also discusses the changing attitudes towards death in modern society and how religious rituals influence people's views on death. Ordinary fathers face death through religious rituals, while the weakening of transcendent faith in modern society leads to an increased sense of loneliness in personal existence. Ordinary people try to fill the ethical vacuum by communicating with their parents' remains, but this one-way communication has not truly established an ethical relationship. Shostak pointed out that this kind of communication is just a projection of ordinary people's self desires. Nevertheless, this communication rehearses a new form of caring ethics that recognizes the ongoing resonance between the deceased and the living. The conversation between mortals and grave diggers further concretizes this possibility, as grave diggers' care for the deceased breaks through traditional boundaries of life and death, constructing an ethical space where the deceased and the living meet and coexist. The ethical relationship between grave diggers and the deceased continues to rely on "relational reciprocity". This caring relationship does not rely on traditional exchange based reciprocity, but is interwoven and nested within the caring relationship, ensuring the stable operation of the caring system. This caring structure provides an anchor point for the dying mortal to see that their death will be incorporated into the eternal secular ethical order. In the end, the mortal ended his life on the operating table. Although the outcome was a medical accident, the author believes that this is not a pure tragedy, as the mortal recalls his vibrant past in the final moments of his life, and death allows him to "break free from existence". Ross rethought death through the power of care, providing us with new possibilities for understanding life.