Lopez 1

Alexa Lopez Prof. Stephen Topf English 114B Is Anti-aging really as glamorous as we believe? Society has always valued youth and looking young in general; there is an entire industry based on keeping us looking young and rejuvenated even into our old age. We try to deny the inevitable, aging, to any means it seems. The average life expectancy has been increasing over the centuries and better medical has aided us in this endeavor, According to the Central Intelligence Agency the average life expectancy today has risen to the average age of 68 ( CIA.gov). Even with all these studies and research in science and modern medicine humans have been not been successful in finding a cure for aging. Immortality is most coveted and seems like the key to unlock lifes wonders. However, Drew Magary attempts to grasp this ideal in his novel The Postmortal by transporting us to a world of no aging but not as ideal as we would imagine. In a pre-apocalyptic universe of 2019 the cure for aging has been found and there are too sides that society has been split into. Half thinks that this is the best thing that happened to them while the others think that is an abomination and curse brought upon them. I believe that both sides are right and each side has valid points to their reaction about this so- called cure. If there is no aging, does that mean that we have eternity? The novel says that we are still susceptible to disease and death by accident but age related death is no longer a problem. Without ageing the prospect of death has been removed from everyday reality. One of the main

Lopez 2

reasons that humans are afraid to age is due to the fact that aging brings us one step closer to our inevitable death. Due to that fact culture has grasped onto youthfulness, Mainstream culture in the contemporary Western world is very youth-oriented, which may make it difficult for many older individuals to shift away from the standards through which they previously attained selfesteem (Maxfield 2). We have started coming up with ways to help fight the sign of aging with products such as injections, surgery, creams, make-up, cleanser, exercise, serums and even food. Living a healthy lifestyle by exercising, eating right, and getting plenty of rest is another popular method. So why only stop at the physical signs of aging when you have to repeatedly get injection and serums when you can stop the process from happening all together. Once the aging has stopped if youre already past your youth the procedures will be more long-term without the constant fight with time. In fact companies have begun looking into ways to prevent the aging process by researching many different possibilities of how to reverse it. In an article by CNN entitled How Google's Calico aims to fight aging and 'solve death' google has created a company Calico, which is fighting to find a cure for aging and diseases. Calico has been researching in many different fields in order to find a method that may actually work. As in the novel The Postmortal, companies such as the one that Graham Otto worked in began doing research. Although the discovery was unintentional the method used in his experiments are some common practices that are used today. In an article by the New York Times Can a jellyfish unlock the secret of immortality it discusses the discovery of a jellyfish called Turritopsis dohrnii or better known as the immortal jellyfish. It appeared to age in reverse,

Lopez 3

growing younger and younger until it reached its earliest stage of development, at which point it began its life cycle anew. (New York Times) With the discovery of this jellyfish we have begun to test it to try and see if we can truly find the specific gene that allows the jellyfish to begin life a new from its earliest stage of life. Without a time limit many individuals would like to travel the world, learn a new language; find love and many other life adventures. Those in the novel have went after these goals to no end that actually turned against them. There is no rush to do anything anymore when you all the time in the world do things, many things are put on hold or forgotten altogether. Parents dont have to fear leaving their children behind and can watch them grow up and even see their great-great-great grandchildren. Despite the fact that the cure has been created in the novel, receiving it has been one of the most difficult situations due to it being initially banned. This sets up a system for those who want it, one can only have it within the parameters that the government has set up, Thats why I agreed with the presidents decision to ban it. I was glad someone was willing to take a step back and declare that we needed to know everything about this treatment (Magary 52). With everything that has been going on in society recently, regulation of the cure seems to have been the best way to handle the situation. This is when the cure for aging has brought out contradicting results to what was believed it could do for society and everyone. Even though it was not available in the U.S., other countries have made it legal to receive the cure, causing many people to travel to different parts of the world just to get it. The cure presents to throw the world into chaos. With no one afraid to die from aging, this allowed for maximum time to do anything, which is why the world fell into

Lopez 4

disrepair. Many riots, bombings, and killing begin to arise as more and more people are receiving the cure. Some are killing due to the fact that they believe that getting the cure is a slap on the face to God or death. In the novel, John states I dont enjoy thinking about death, which is one of the reasons why I wanted the cure in the first place. Now I seem to be obsessing over it. The irony in it is infuriating (Magary 19). The economy fell, crime and mayhem started to crop up. It wasnt ideal at all. Those that wanted to stop aging and avoid death began to ask for death and seeking the end specialist to help them end it. Although at first no one wanted death to come upon them, it is now welcomed with open arms. When death and aging were inevitable before the creation of the cure it was important to go to school, get a job, have a family and get married and settled down. It kept us from doing things that were reckless such as dropping everything and going to parties due to the fact that we only had a short lifetime. Many people wanted to have a family of their own so that when their time came they would leave behind a piece of themselves. Now society has begun to see the consequences of having the ability to stop the aging process. Many have realized that it is not as glamorous as they imagined it would be when they were first thinking about receiving the cure. Now after all these years it has only brought upon suffering to many people around the world. Humans have always been afraid to accept death, as well as aging. One of the main reasons that humans are afraid to age is due to the fact that aging reminds us of death. In the novel The Postmortal this is clearly shown, it begins with a society who is afraid of death. They begin to come up with ways to stop the aging process and finally succeed after an accidental experiment. I believe that as the years have gone by this cure has allowed people to be more accepting of the idea of death and not be afraid by the thought of dying.

Lopez 5

Although they physically still appear to be the same age from the moment they received the cure they have become more accepting of death due to this cure. Their bodies may have remained the same throughout all these years but their minds have continued to grow. They have seen what society has become; they have lived to witness many tragedies as well as new medical advancements. Adding an extra 60 years to their lives I believe that they had time to ponder over the idea of finally saying goodbye to this world. There is no cure for death, even if everyone is calling it that. Its merely a cure for aging (Magary, 9). This quote in my opinion is the most important things in this book, although this book is about a cure for aging it has become connected with death. In this book one simply cannot come without the other, they work hand in hand. Throughout this novel and all the research I have done I believe it has changed my opinion and thought of aging. Although aging and death are two of the worst things to think about at any age, this novel has allowed me to reconsider whether finding a cure is really worth all the death, poverty, destruction that is bound to come with it. Aging is just a natural part of life that one may be able to delay, however not avoid. Despite having the ability to live and appear to look at a certain age it appears to be the mind that finally decided to move on, not the body. Aging, despite the fact that it plays a part death does not solely determine when one is ready to die. The brain and soul of a person play so much a part in this whole process. If one has the ability to live at an age that still comes with many health benefits, but the person does not take care of themselves and their health then it was not age that took them in the end but their own lack of care for their body. After all the reason that humans are so afraid to age that they take extra precaution is due to the fact that aging reminds us of death.

Lopez 6

Works Cited Jacobsen, Michael, Hviid, and Douglas, J. Davies. "Sociology, Mortality and Solidarity. An Interview with Zygmunt Bauman on Death, Dying and Immortality." Mortality 16.4 (2011): 380-393. CINAHL Plus with Full Text. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.

Magary, Drew. The Postmortal: A Novel. New York: Penguin, 2011. Print

Maxfield, Molly, et al. "Age-Related Differences In Responses to Thoughts of One's Own Death: Mortality Salience and Judgments of Moral Transgressions." Psychology And Aging 22.2 (2007): 341-353. PsycARTICLES. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.

McNicoll, Arion. "How Google's Calico Aims to Fight Aging and 'solve Death'" CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.

Rich, Nathaniel. "Can a Jellyfish Unlock the Secret of Immortality?" The New York Times. The New York Times, 01 Dec. 2012. Web. 24 Mar. 2014. "The World Fact book." Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, n.p. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.