"Representing Age and Ageing in New Zealand Literature": The Maori Case

A study conducted in Aotearoa New Zealand has underlined that “a sense of belonging or attachment to place is believed to help maintain a sense of identity and wellbeing, and to facilitate successful adjustments in old age” (Wilesa: 2009). However, concepts of place, home, and social space are culturally marked. They reflect physical, symbolic, imaginative and emotional experiences that are in turn connected to people’s cultural and ethnic background. Aotearoa New Zealand has been officially recognised as a bicultural country for over forty years and is now becoming a multicultural country. The approach to and treatment of elders can vary considerably in different ethnic groups, as described in numerous literary works. My essay aims to explore the experience of ageing in Aotearoa New Zealand with a comparative approach, contrasting Western and indigenous views. In particular, I will focus on the representation of elders in the fiction of two well-known New Zealand writers of Māori origin: Witi Ihimaera and Patricia Grace.