Joan Didion On Keeping A Notebook Analysis

Writing is a form of communication that can be expressed in various ways. The short story “On Keeping a Notebook” written by Joan Didion guides the reader through her thinking process as she tries to answer why and what it means to write in her notebook. Although, it can be difficult to follow and understand her thinking it fascinates me to see her thinking process come to a full circle. I felt a personal connection with her when she writes “We are brought up in the ethic that others, any others, all others, are by definition more interesting that ourselves; taught to be diffident, just that this side of self-effacing.” Didion’s statement made me realized the experiences one has can affect one’s perspective as one writes and reads despite how

the text may be written.
Michihiko Hachiya presents a different style in “From Hiroshima Diary” from Didion. He utilizes descriptive techniques such as metaphors, personifications, and strong diction to emulate the setting, mood, and tone of his personal experience during the bombing of Hiroshima. I was moved by his thoughts in what he was going to do next - how human it was to react. It struck me most at the ending “Not only had our books been destroyed, but our newspaper, telephones, and radios as well…” The vulnerability and reality of the situation underscore and draw sympathy from the audience, which accentuates the setting, mood, and tone.
Michael Berube and Stephen King demonstrated their message with plain language, but both offered different ways to write. Berube suggests to think analyzing similar to sport shows while King gives numerous bullet points of how to keep one’s writing effective, concise, and coherent.