Intersecting Loneliness and Masculinity: Gender-Based Violence in the Aging Experience of a Man Called Ove

This paper will discuss the intersection of gerontology and gender-based violence in Fredrik Backman’s novel A Man Called Ove. The story, which focuses on the life of a grumpy, elderly man named Ove, gives a unique perspective through which the experiences of older adults can be looked at and how subtle but impactful effects of gender-based violence affect the aging. The novel also depicts the depth at which the entrenchment of gender norms may push towards emotional isolation, subdued trauma, and inter-generational miscommunication via the complexities of Ove’s relationships and societal conceptions of masculinity. Understanding the signs of emotional violence through the actions and dealings of Ove helps enter a space of subtler, non-violent abuses- in this case repressive gender expectations. These experiences are explored in this study through the context of gerontology, the exploration of the psychological impact from aging, loneliness, resilience, and community’s combatting gendered expectations and the study’s objectives by illuminating how age interplays with gender and hence the ways older adults either experience or respond to some form of violence: from implicit to overt violence - while advocating for a refined understanding of the effects produced by gender-based violence amongst elder populations.

Keywords: Gerontology, Gender-based violence, Emotional Isolation, Repressive gender norms