Colm Tóibín’s "The Empty Family" and Yiyun Li's "Kindness" The Tyranny of Time: A Study of the Problem of Aging

This paper examines the representation of ageing in Colm Tóibín's The Empty Family and Yiyun Li's Kindness, highlighting the novels’ exploration of both the physical and psychological consequences of ageing as an existential reality. Through a close reading of the novels’ reflections on the protagonists’ views on ageing, it is concluded that ageing is not simply a medical and biological condition but a complex interaction involving individual background, social frameworks, and cultural narratives. Drawing on gerontological literary criticism and Andrew Blaikie’s sociological framework, the paper argues that the selected novels portray ageing not only as a decline in physical health but also within broader social and historical contexts that influence available narratives and ways of assigning meaning. By framing the narratives within the broader literary tradition of ageing, the analysis highlights the novels’ role in shaping cultural perceptions of old age and mortality.