Andrea, Carina, Malia, May Mon

Small Group Discussion: Joan Didion

Essays Addressed:

Marrying Absurd 114

On Keeping a Notebook 191

On Self Respect 207

On Going Home 240

In your group, create the following roles.

● Organizer: asks the guiding questions provided and asks for comments from each
group member. Our organizer is: Carina
● Recorder: summarizes the group’s answers on the worksheet and turns in the
completed worksheet using MyPueo. Our recorder is: May Mon
● Clarifier: Records unfamiliar words and finds definitions to them. Our clarifier is: Malia
● Questioner: Records any questions the group would like addressed during the seminar.
Our questioner is: Andrea

Discuss the guiding questions in your small groups. Turn in one completed worksheet at the
end of class.
Clarifier: unfamiliar words Questioner: Questions to ask in discussion (develop at least
and a definition three per essay)
On Keeping a Notebook
Marrying Absurd
Marrying Absurd: On Self Respect
On Going Home
- Mesquite: a 1. How did keeping notebooks as a child and
particular type of adolescent influence Joan Didion’s style as a
wood from writer/journalist?
trees/shrubs - As a child, you are generally more vulnerable and
- Mirage: an optical perceive real life through a sort of fantasy world. The
phenomenon, thoughts and feelings reflected in Didion’s notebook are
especially one taking unfiltered.
place in the desert or - Quotation from text “my keeping a notebook has never
at sea been about...”. To didion, the purpose of a notebook is
- Allegorical: more of to remember details that are important to her.
containing abstract
or spiritual meaning
 through concrete or - Grew as a writer from being able to become
material forms accustomed to the concept of writing at an early age in a
- Mimeographed: to rather informal way.
duplicate by a - The way Didion describes things now could be as a
mimeograph (printing result of how she just wrote down things she observed
machine) and jumped into her emotions when she wrote in a
- Implausibility: not notebook.
having the 2. What are your feelings on Joan Didion’s statement
appearance of truth that keeping a notebook is “selfish” in nature?
or credibility - She states how she only records her thoughts and
- Bouvardia: tropical mentions the things that interest her. People have an
shrub inclination to rewrite about things that pique their interest
- Facsimile: exact or draw their attention in some way. She explicitly states
copy both in the chapter and in the prologue that she will write
- Paeu de soie: a about things that she feels some sort of emotion for. She
smooth, finely ribbed is naturally gravitated towards pursuing subjects and
satin fabric of silk or events that she feels something about.
rayon - Pg 197 “I imagine, in other words, that the notebook is
- Jocularity: state of about other people”
joking - On page 194, she states that she is basically negligent
and only writes about things that matter to her while on
On Keeping a Notebook: other days, she feels she has an obligation to genuinely
- Crepe-de-Chine: a report everything that takes place. She wants to have a
light and fine log of things and people she sees even if they seem
plainwoven dress unimportant, she wants them to be important to her
fabric because they remind her of a certain time or event.
- Viscous: of a 3. Why did Joan Didion ended up writing personals
glutinous nature or such as “On Keeping a Notebook”?
consistency; sticky; - Didion explains that keeping a notebook for herself is
thick; adhesive similar to the way she wrote some of the essays in
- Negligent: guilty of or Slouching Towards Bethlehem. Text quotation page 194
characterized by “The point of keeping a notebook…”
neglect - Text quotation “How it felt to me:...” “I will simply open
- Verisimilitude: the my notebook and there all be a forgotten account…”
appearance of truth Keeping a notebook is nostalgic for her
- Aperçus: comment 4. Why does Didion use the term “CREPE DE CHINE”
or brief reference so frequently?
that makes an - When authors repeat the same term over and over
illuminating or again, they’re trying to emphasize something
entertaining point - Observation: the term is used in different contexts with
- Self-effacing: act of differing tones. Page 191-192 and 198, respectively
keeping oneself in
 the background, as 5. What is Didion’s stance on marriage after reading
in humility “Marrying Absurd”?
- Pensée: a thought or - Perhaps not a strong or very defined stance. Explains
reflection put into that the purpose of marriage is for men to improve their
literary form draft status. A little critical and almost looking down on
- Erratic: deviating the people who get married that way.
from “proper” - Illustrates a different way of getting married. Different
conduct, eccentric traditions based on society and culture in Las Vegas.
- Ore: metal-bearing Maybe talking about people who might not be fortunate
mineral or rock enough to get a big wedding?
- Ambergris: an - Informational as opposed to biased. Taking a bystander
opaque, ash-colored stance.
secretion of the - Critical but without being outright. Based on the
sperm whale examples Didion provides and the language she uses,
intestine one could deduce that she is criticizing or emphasizing
- Apparition: a irony as opposed to directly stating her opinion.
supernatural 6. What elements of style did Joan Didion employ that
appearance of a convey her position on those certain types of
person or thing, marriages?
especially a ghost - Word choice, language (example of bride and groom
- Irrevocably: age requirements. Language was very matter of fact
unalterable - Sentence structure, sentences are very detailed and
descriptive
- Pace, noticeably slower than some of the previous
essays.
- Doesn’t use as much imagery as compared to her other
essays
- Her tone wasn’t as personal or intimate/emotional as
with her other essays. This could suggest
- Observation: Didion almost always begins her essays
with vivid descriptions of a place that sets a certain
scene and atmosphere that is built upon as the actual
story progresses.
- Vocabulary was understandable, not extremely formal
but not quite colloquial either. In context, everything
makes sense.
7. How did Didion indicate her point of view in
“Marrying Absurd”?
- Through tone, Word choice, language, structure, etc.
- A mix of literary elements all contribute to an overall
effect of her point of view (specified in previous
questions).
8. What is the connection between Las Vegas and
marriage in “Marrying Absurd”?
- Las Vegas is known to be a gambling/partying
state, therefore, Didion seems to be mocking the
state’s marriage industry.
- Didion enlightens the reader by providing
sarcastic comments about marriage in Las
Vegas.
- The title “Marrying Absurd” makes sense after
the reader reads the story because Didion’s tone
implied that getting married in Las Vegas is
somewhat ridiculous since it isn't your typical
wedding ceremony.

1. After reading “On Self-Respect, how would one

define self respect?
- Different definitions, but she seems to define that as
- Unapologetic for ones mistakes
- Being aware of yourself and the people around you.
Know where you are.
-
2. How does Didion employ intertextuality to illustrate
the concept of self respect?
- Page 208 quote about Jordan Baker
3. What did Didion mean by “innocence ends when
one is stripped of the delusion that one likes
one-self”?
- The phi beta kappa situation
- Acknowledging innocence destroys one’s self respect,
degrading yours
- elf by acknowledging innocence
- “If we do not respect ourselves.” Pg ?. That goes along
with the innocence quote. Innocence isn’t
111necessarily . THEY BELIEVE THEY'RE BETTER
THAN EVERYONE ELSE BECAUSE THEY THINK
THEY ARE UNTAINTED BY THINGS THAT OTHER
PEOPLE ARE EXPOSED TO. So they never get the
chance to improve themselves and work towards
developing a respect for themselves.
- “Self respects is a kind of charm against snakes”.
Something about eden. Allusion.
 - Once other people know that you have self-respect, they
try to destroy that.
- People may sacrifice their self respect for something
that seems valuable.
- 1q2
1. Aid
- Marriage is the classic betrayal
- The concept of a home versus a house

Essential Questions: Marrying Absurd

1. This essay begins with a listing of facts. How does this contrast with the subject of the
essay itself? How do these minute details add to the essay?
Facts are initially listed in the essay as a means for Didion to build up to the subject of the
essay–the concept of marriage and people’s perception of it contrasted with its reality in places
such as Las Vegas. These seemingly trivial details and impersonal statistics portray marriage as
a series of boxes to check as opposed to a momentous or intimate event. This helps Didion to
convey a rather satirical tone and examine the changing tradition of marriage as the essay
progresses.

2. What elements of Joan Didion’s style can you identify in the essay?
Joan Didion employs stylistic elements such as tone, word choice, language, and
sentence structure. Her sentences are long and descriptive, especially when speaking
about setting. Her tone is also somewhat matter-of-fact and observational as she
provides examples of basic requirements that people must meet to get married. This,
combined with the words she uses to illustrate a marriage that takes place at the end of
the essay, serves to create the overall sentiment that the values placed on certain
aspects of traditions such as marriage have shifted as times change.

3. How does the essay employ irony?

The essay employs irony because the weddings described in the essay are of low-quality and
fast, with very little meaning as opposed to what people dream the concept of “marriage” is.
Most people want a meaningful wedding that’s been all planned out and is a huge occasion
which completely contradicts what is recorded in this essay. The people mentioned are naive
girls not women, getting married young, unknowing of what marriage really is and the
commitment of it. They see it as something that isn’t serious but just something to do among
the extravagance of Las Vegas.

Essential Questions: On Keeping a Notebook

1. This is the first essay in the “Personals” section of the text. What differences can you
identify between this essay and those in the previous section?
The previous essays were more of narratives about other people but this essay had a more
personal perspective, hence the name “Personals”. This essay also really discussed the
meaning of keeping such a personal item and the deeper meaning of many other things while
as previous essays had an observational and a more surface level meaning since they were
about other people.

2. What elements of style can you identify in the essay? How is the style similar or different
from other essays?
Some of the elements of style that are present in this essay are: point of view, tone, and
vocabulary. This essay is from the first point of view and the tone is more emotional, the
vocabulary and word choice is very informal and understandable. The style of this essay is
different from other essays mainly because of the tone.

3. Did this essay motivate or inspire you to keep a notebook? Why?

After reading “On Keeping a Notebook”, Didion’s purpose about writing a notebook inspired me
to create prompts of things to remember or keep track of objects that people tend to ignore.
Didion didn’t treat journals as if it was her diary which made me realize she doesn’t like being
generic.