In The Bath written by Janet Frame, ideas are developed about old age through settings, characters actions, and characters mind.

Ideas are first developed through settings because it identified and established the time, place and mood of the events of the story. The setting starts with the old women listening to the “drip-drip of the cold water tap of the wash basin.” This is a cold setting which shows that it is not a happy setting, but a unhappy and sad setting. Therefore, ideas are developed through settings.

Ideas about ageing is developed through the actions of the character because this shows how the characters react to something. One can see when “she struggled to get out” of the bath tub. This shows that old people gets weaker physically. In addition, the elder woman “panicked and began to cry and strike the sides of the bath.” Furthermore, this shows that ageing is not a pleasant thing to experience. Moreover, the old woman also tries to waste time during her bath, by rewashing herself and using a nail brush. She does this to not face trouble getting out of the tub because she is afraid that she will not get out. Hence idea of ageing is developed through the actions of the character.

Also, ideas about ageing are developed through the character’s mind because this show what the character is thinking. An example of this is when she is thinking “that perhaps it might be better for her to die at once. This shows that as people get older, they will have a harder life. Also, in the beginning of the story, “she longed to find a place beside the graves, in the soft grass, and fall asleep.” This proves that she does not feel like living because of her tiredness after she visited the grave through buses and crossing streets. Thus, ideas about ageing is developed though the mind of the character.

To conclude, people have more difficulty to live as they get older. This is mainly due to having a weaker body which lead the people to feel sad and unhappy. The women in this short story did not had the will to live after she noticed she is now physically weak and now needs help from other people like a nurse. Therefore, ideas are developed through settings, character’s actions, and character’s mind.