Rethinking older adults' autonomy in Samuel Beckett's Happy Days

This article reevaluates the theme of aging and autonomy in Samuel Beckett's play Happy Days, focusing on the character Winnie's experiences to challenge conventional paradigms of aging. It explores how Winnie's experiences, monologues, and interactions with the world resonate with gerontologist perspectives of autonomy in old age, which significantly emphasizes dignity, authenticity, and interdependence rather than freedom and independence of traditional viewpoints. By analyzing Beckett's theatrical representation of Winnie, the paper argues that through Happy Days, Beckett provides a lens to reconsider societal attitudes toward aging, advocating for recognizing older adults' subjectivity and confronting the subtle yet pervasive ageism in modern society.