Is age just a number and love the only thing that matters in a relationship? Colour, region,
language, and faith are also mere identities and should not be barriers as long as there is selfless
love between two people. But can two people start and sustain a relationship with a significant
age difference?
The aim of the research is to present the morality of the Western world when it comes to
romantic relationships with a significant age difference. Do we support such relationships? How
much of an age difference do we consider acceptable? Are we more affected if we meet a couple
where there is a much older woman or where there is an older man? What are the main pitfalls
of such unions?
I have tried to answer these questions by analysing anthropological and comparativist works on
ethics and morality to understand what defines the morals of society in the first place. An insight
into what society's concerns was given to me by four interviewees involved in the context of a
significant age difference. Furthermore, I introduced the novels The Reader and Lolita, which
challenge us to make our own moral judgements on the subject.
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