ChristopherBates

S00646968
Stockett
VisualAnalysis
ENGL1010
Spring2016

RhetoricalAnalysis

Theessay
OnKeepingaNotebook
byJoanDidionisconfusing,seeminglydisorganized
andverydisorienting,yetitiseffectiveindemonstratinghowkeepinganotebookcanhelpyou
stayintouchwithyourmemoriesbecauseofthemanyexamplesofhowrandomnotesremind
theauthorofeventsthatoccurredinherpast.Althoughtheobjectiveofthisessayisnoteasily
understood,itdoesestablishabelievableargumentthatappealstotheconscienceoftheaverage
readerandmakestheideaseemcredible.
Atthebeginningoftheessaytheauthorstartscausingconfusionwithoutdelayby
includingfragmentednotesthatshewrotesolongagothatshedoesnotevenrememberwhen.
SheassuresheraudiencethattheyshouldbeconfusedbywritingSincethenoteisinmy
notebook,itpresumablyhassomemeaningtome(Didion1).Whilereadingthisyoucanthink
thatiftheauthordoesnotevenknowwhatthatmeans,andshewroteit,thenhowshouldanyone
elsehaveanyideawhatitmeans?Thenyoumightthinkthatherinabilitytofindmeaninginher
ownwritingmightbeanadmissionofalackofcredibilityasawriter.Thedisorderofthe
excerptsandtheapparentramblingsoftheauthorinherattempttounderstandherownnotes
causesalotofconfusionforthereader.FirstthereismentionofThatwomanEstelleandthen
ontooneGeorgeSharpfollowedbythefragments
DirtycrepedeChinewrapper,hotelbar,

WilmingtonRR,9:45a.m.AugustMondaymorning
.(Didion1)thatsupposedlyholdsome
hiddenmessageofvalue.Theproblemisthatthereisnointerpreter,nowayofunderstandingthe
meaningorrelatingthefragmentstoanythingofvalue.Toaddadeeperlayerofconfusion,you
areinformedthatthepersonwhowrotethenotedoesnotknowwhenshewroteit,which
expandstheimpossibilityofinterpretationandleavesyouutterlylostinthetext.
YouhavetoreallypayattentioninordertorealizethatthroughoutthetextDidionis
stringingyoualongasherreader,leadingyourightintohertrap,guidingyoutowanttofinda
purposeinthetext.Thisdesiretofindmeaningresultsinahigherlevelofattentionaffordedto
yourreading,tomakesurethatyoudonotmissaclueasyoutrydesperatelytotraversethe
chaostotheendofthetext.Afterponderinghernotes,Didionmentionsrememberingafew
detailsrelatedtotheincidentandenlightensherreadersbystatingIdorememberbeingthere
andgoesontoincludessomeelementsoftheoriginalscene,suchasacertainwomansitting
downforabearandthatthebartenderandheardabouttherelationshipshewasnolongerin,to
backupherclaim.Shegoesonforawhileexpressingherinterpretationofthethoughtsand
actionsofapersonsheobserved,tellingusthatSheisafflictedbyalittleselfpity(Didion1).
Fromhere,finally,weareaffordedsomeunderstandingofwhatthetextisallabout
throughtheintrospectivethoughtsandquestionsWhydidIwriteitdown?Inorderto
remember,ofcourse,butexactlywhatwasitIwantedtoremember?Howmuchofitactually
happened?Didanyofit?WhydoIkeepanotebookatall?(Didion1)andthereitis,the
clarificationyouhavebeenattentivelyseeking.Nowyouknowwhatyouaresupposedtofind
out.Youknowthatyouneedtohelptheauthorcomprehendthepurposeoftakingrandomnotes
atrandomtimesinrandomplaces.Thishelpsyoufixatetherestofyouralreadyhighlyfocussed

readingonthatonegoal.Therearesomedistractionstoovercome,particularlythepartwhere
theauthorgivesanaccountofherhistorythatdevelopedintohercompulsivesemifictionalnote
taking,butitdoesservetoshowthatshewasoncearealpersonlikeyou,achildthathadbusy
parentsthattoldhersheshouldstopwhiningandlearntoamuse(Didion2)herselfbynoting
herownthoughts.Thefactthatshewastaughttowriteher
thoughts
ratherthanamorescientific
approach,whichwouldhavebeentowritedownher
observations
,providessomelevelof
clarificationforyouasareader.Nowyouknowthatthenotesservedaninitialpurposeofself
occupationand,hopefully,somelevelofentertainmentandmentalengagementwiththeworld
andthemomentitwasobservedandwritten.
Followingyournewfoundunderstandingofthefirstreasonyoushouldkeepanotebook
youareprovidedmoreconclusiveevidencethatdoingsowillhelpyourecalltheeventslater
throughouttherestofthetext.Didionstrewsoutanumberofherrandomnotes,tiestheminto
herpresentexperiencesanddemonstrateshowtheyhelpherrememberdetailsofwhatwas,or
whatmighthavebeen,accordingtoherinterpretationatthetime.Anexampleofthisisthenote
HewasbornthenighttheTitanicwentdown(Didion4),whichleadtotherecountingofa
detailedexperiencethatshehad.Here,inthesoothingwintersunontheterraceoftheCalifornia
beachhouse,youaredrawnintothesceneanditbecomesmorereal.Afterthissheincludesher
emotionalappealtoallthosewhohaveeverhadahardtimeinlife,asexemplifiedinthe
statementIwouldliketobelievethatmydreadthenwasforthehumancondition,butofcourse
itwasforme,becauseIwantedababyanddidnotthenhaveoneandbecauseIwantedtoown
thehousethatcost$1,000amonthtorentandbecauseIhadahangover(Didion5),which
makesitseemlikesheisanaverageperson,justlikeyou.Thatnewunionthatwasjustcreated

servestohelpyouagreewithherconclusion,whichisthatasshetakesamomenttothinkabout
herscribblessheisabletorememberherpastexperiencesthatotherwisewouldhavebeenlostto
herforever.Shebelievesthatthisreminderallowshertokeepanawarenessofwhosheisand
howshegotthere.ShetellsyoudirectlyWeforgetthelovesandthebetrayalsalike,forget
whatwewhisperedandwhatwescreamed,forgetwhowewere(Didion5)andifyoukeepa
notebookyouhaveawaytoremember,tonotlosetouchwithyourself.
InthisessayJoanDidionisabletoguideherreadersthroughapathofconfusiontothe
endpointofagreeingwithherthatthereisanapplicableuseforkeepinganotebook.Evenifthe
notesarenotstrictlyobservations,eveniftheyincludefantasy,theycanserveasreminders,key
ideasthattriggeramemory.Thosememories,inturn,canhelpyoustayintouchwithwhoyou
havebeenandhelpremindyouofhowyoubecamewhoyouaretoday,andthatissomething
thatanyonecanputtothetestandfindoutifthisDidionstheoryiscredible.Nowifitistrue
thenyou,thereader,canconfirmitforyourself.Whatismorecrediblethanahypothesisthat
youcanpersonallyconfirmwithyourownstudyresults?Thefactthatthisessayprovidesthe
opportunitytodothateffectivelyappealstomyemotions,asIloveagoodexperiment,andtothe
credibilityoftheauthorbecauseyoucanproveherrightyourself.

References:
Didion,Joan.OnKeepingaNotebook.(1966),in
SlouchingTowardsBethlehem
,1969,
London:AndreDeutch.