It's Not All Downhill From Here

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses addiction, depression, and suicide.

Terry McMillan explores and challenges the perception that age and health naturally work against each other. Chapter 1 introduces Loretha’s belief that her best years are behind her and that she must work to maintain her youth. She laments that “once a week one of us seems to have a date with some kind of doctor and the scale of the problems seems to escalate by the month” (88). Loretha and her friends all initially believe, to some extent, that their age limits what they can do. However, the characters’ development arcs and the overall plot arc reveal that aging does not preclude people from living the lives they want.

Ma is one of the most vocal characters defying the societal norm that age is a hindrance, but Loretha struggles to internalize her mother’s advice. Ma frequently asserts, “If you’re reading this and you’re over forty, I hope you’re doing what you want with your life” (121). She also dispenses practical wisdom, such as not allowing societal beauty standards to dictate self-worth and not abandoning dreams because they become complex. However, Loretha’s societal conditioning causes her to ignore her mother’s advice.