Self Respect

1.) Well, Didion uses allusions to literature to help give us a better idea or personal evidence to link her thesis to. However, the audience she is approaching may not know or have read any of the literature she uses for examples. That makes it more alienating than helpful. When we discussed this in class, many said it was hard to get through because of examples she used. They did not understand how it tied in because of the simple fact that they have not read the book. Didion assumed that her audience would all know exactly what books she was referring to. That is not the case.

2.) At one point Didion says "... people with self-respect exhibit a certain toughness, a kind of moral nerve ..." Along with what was stated in the question about committing adultery. I think a lot of people who read this can agree to her statements. This doesn't mean they would commit the actions or portray the persona themselves, but they can agree that it is general knowledge. When Didion does say that people who commit adultery have "courage in their mistakes" and "character", I take that to mean that if they are doing it, they must think it is okay. If not, they should not be doing it.

3.) Well, to have self-respect you must learn it. I believe that is what Didion is saying. That you have the ability down deep inside of you, but must learn to bring it out and use it. That can also apply to writing skills and habit of mind. I think anyone who is a freshman in college has the ability to write correctly. The problem is disciplining yourself to do that. You have to have a certain state of mind that you can do something. Self-respect, I guess, is what I am trying to say. That fits in perfectly. You need to believe that you can write well, and you just need to develop the habit of it.