Module: General Practice
Q37: Consider the following statements regarding the portrayal of elder neglect in the story:
1. Elder neglect is portrayed not just as a lack of physical care, but as a profound psychological marginalization and active erasure of identity.
2. Mr. Shamnath explicitly views his mother's aging body, failing eyesight, and natural bodily functions as deliberate inconveniences to his lifestyle.
3. The mother's passive acceptance of this neglect stems from her own modernized belief in the independence and privacy of the nuclear family.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
2. Mr. Shamnath explicitly views his mother's aging body, failing eyesight, and natural bodily functions as deliberate inconveniences to his lifestyle.
3. The mother's passive acceptance of this neglect stems from her own modernized belief in the independence and privacy of the nuclear family.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
✅ Correct Answer: A
The correct combination is statements 1 and 2. The concept explored is the systemic nature of elder abuse.
Structurally, Shamnath does not just ignore his mother; he attempts to erase her existence, treating her sleep, her snoring, and her old clothes as offensive crimes against his social standing (Statement 1 and 2). Historically, the shift from joint families to nuclear families in India often left dependent elders highly vulnerable to exactly this type of psychological marginalization, where they were viewed as burdens rather than revered patriarchs/matriarchs.
Statement 3 is incorrect because the mother holds no modern beliefs about nuclear family privacy.
Her causal reason for accepting the abuse is her deeply ingrained, traditional maternal devotion; she endures the humiliation solely because she believes it is her duty to sacrifice herself for her son's happiness.
Structurally, Shamnath does not just ignore his mother; he attempts to erase her existence, treating her sleep, her snoring, and her old clothes as offensive crimes against his social standing (Statement 1 and 2). Historically, the shift from joint families to nuclear families in India often left dependent elders highly vulnerable to exactly this type of psychological marginalization, where they were viewed as burdens rather than revered patriarchs/matriarchs.
Statement 3 is incorrect because the mother holds no modern beliefs about nuclear family privacy.
Her causal reason for accepting the abuse is her deeply ingrained, traditional maternal devotion; she endures the humiliation solely because she believes it is her duty to sacrifice herself for her son's happiness.