Johnson's' Mother's Normal 'is an experimental novel that challenges traditional narrative forms, set in a nursing home and depicting the lives of caregivers and eight elderly people through ten monologues. The novel did not receive much attention at the beginning of its publication, but with the reprint of Jonathan Coe's biography and Picardo in 2004, Johnson and his works began to receive attention. Scholars have different interpretations of the depiction of old age in novels. Some believe that its formalistic aesthetics reflect the characteristics of aging and disease, while others view it as a metaphor for the writer's life and literary form depletion. Jonathan Coe, on the other hand, believes that it reflects Johnson's fear of the aging process. Philip Tu pointed out that Johnson's artistic experiments were closely related to his working-class background, and the innovative forms integrated a keen perception of social consciousness, alienation, and existential crises. My Mother is Normal "was created during the rise of the deinstitutionalization movement in Britain, reflecting the criticism of closed nursing homes and the exploration of community-based care at that time. The novel presents the real life of elderly people isolated in nursing homes through innovative narrative forms and layout, showcasing the true state of aging and disease, while echoing the de institutionalization movement and revealing the rules and discrimination of nursing homes towards the elderly in ideological discourse.

Narrative imitation of aging and narrative empathy

Johnson explored the theme of deinstitutionalized elderly care through literary narrative experiments in "Mother's Normal". He utilizes innovative artistic forms to present the real lives of elderly people in nursing homes through literary fiction, building empathy with readers. The novel imitates the cognitive state and disease pain of the elderly in its narrative layout, showcasing the degenerative process of aging and the objective facts of age-related diseases. Each elderly person's monologue begins with a list of cases, followed by a narrative that imitates their respective illnesses. The novel presents the aging process from health to dementia through changes in cognitive ability values (CQ). The narrator's monologue is presented in character layout as a topographic map of different states of aging bodies under the influence of diseases, with changes in syntax, punctuation, grammar, and layout corresponding to the diseases listed in each preface.

The real picture of nursing homes and the false "family nature"

Johnson's' Mother's Normal 'deconstructs the mother image of caregivers in nursing homes and the' family nature 'promoted by nursing homes through the monologue of the' mother 'character, exposing the failure of welfare state reform. The novel echoes the "deinstitutionalization" advocated by sociologists Thompson and Goffman in a humorous and satirical manner. The exploitation, abuse, devaluation, and humiliation suffered by elderly people in nursing homes reflect the harsh conditions of nursing homes in the late 1950s in Britain, such as inadequate nursing facilities, shortage of nursing staff, inadequate staff training, and poor food quality. In the novel, the "mother" exploits the elderly through labor and compares the way of life in nursing homes to the workhouse system in 19th century England, showcasing the inhumane and unreasonable work practices of elderly care institutions during the welfare state era. Goffman's concept of "fully controlled institutions" is reflected in the novel, depicting the process of institutions cultivating patient dependency, controlling actions and desires, and influencing self-identity. Through the monologue of "Auntie", the novel deconstructs the false "family nature" of nursing homes, exposes the drawbacks of elderly care institutions under the welfare state system, points out that the reform results of the welfare state are not completely consistent with the wishes of advocates, and elderly care institutions have become an oppressive force, promoting elderly discrimination in society.

The possibility of elderly discrimination and narrative resistance promoted by elderly care institutions

Johnson's novel 'Mother in Law' criticizes nursing homes and explores how institutionalized care exacerbates discrimination against the elderly. The novel showcases the diversity of the elderly through personalized monologues by eight elderly people, while also pointing out the problem of medical and sociological objectification of the elderly. The use of case lists reveals the phenomenon of "normalization" of elderly diseases, while the spatial isolation of nursing homes further reinforces stereotypes about the elderly. In the novel, elderly people are depicted as social dependents, with their agency denied, and the "structural dependence" under the welfare system seen as personal failure. In addition, the novel portrays the deprivation of the elderly's discourse discipline and subjectivity through the questions raised by their "mother". However, the novel also challenges the stereotypical image of old age, emphasizing the gradual loss of cognitive abilities over time rather than the breakdown between health and illness. The inner monologues of the elderly showcase their personalities and life journeys, calling for society to redefine the meaning of life for the elderly. Johnson's text experiment not only echoes the viewpoint of the "deinstitutionalization" movement, but also focuses on the formation of elderly discrimination promoted by nursing homes, providing a new perspective for writing about the elderly in literature.