Study Questions and Essay Topics
Study Questions
1. Joan Didion
has been praised for her clear-eyed, analytical approach to emotionally
challenging subjects, and criticized for being a cold, overly intellectual,
emotionally disengaged writer. What elements of Didion's writing
style have inspired these reactions?
2. Over the course of the book, Didion
goes from a passive state of grief to an active state of mourning.
How does she document this shift?
3. On several occasions, Didion emphasizes
that “information is control.” How do her beliefs change over the
course of her year of magical thinking?
Essay Topics
1. Magical thinking both helps
Didion cope with her grief and prevents her from engaging with it
directly. Select and analyze several instances of magical thinking,
and analyze how they affect Didion's grieving process.
2. How does Didion's understanding
of magical thinking evolve over the course of her book?
3. How does the vortex effect
affect Didion's recovery process? What role does memory play in
the memoir?
4. After John's death, Didion
comes to understand the degree to which her identity was shaped
by her relationship with John. How does John's death force Didion
to re-evaluate her identity?
