Crones, Care Homes, and Crises

Abstract

In this article, French focuses on the titular hearing trumpet of Leonora Carrington's novella as a crucial yet under-explored everyday object in a surreal narrative. Turning to the 'material cultures of growing older', the chapter examines how Carrington uses more-than-human objects and spaces to augment the fantastical representations of older age. The chapter explores the themes of self-identity, institutionalism, and hybridity to offer a new perspective on how the narrator's journey circumvents the chronological life span: Marian's journey suggests that time passing represents an opportunity for growth and futurity enhanced by the material cultures of growing older.