I am in the middle of the process of writing my final paper and some thoughts and questions are going through my head so I wanted to share them:

Although “The Year of Magical Thinking” speaks of terrible tragedy, its not a downer! The writing, by one of the main participants of the tragedy, is exciting! How crazy is that? As Joan Didion once said: “The way I write is who I am, or have become.”

Dissembling nature of memory and grief?

Does the fluid narrative structure represent disorientation by stress caused by sudden death?

Juxtaposing of hard, cold, documents-supported facts with most personal and precisely expressed feelings – the signature of Didion’s alchemy.

Mystical quality of the book?

Musical quality of Didion’s writing? Rhythm is life!