“We tell ourselves stories in order to live.”
By saying this, Joan Didion alludes to the importance of storytelling that convey the good, mediocre, and difficult aspects of the human experience. This quote also relates to the way Didion feels about the relationship between loss/living and writing. Learning about Didion, I found that her life centers around writing, and her works document events that happened to her. For example, when Didion went through a divorce with her husband, he still helped her write her next book, regardless of the marital issues they may have had at the time. Later on, Didion wrote a novel about her husband’s death in 2005. When her daughter passed away a few months later, Didion began working on a novel for her as well. Knowing this, I believe Didion used her writing to sort through her complex emotions, such as her grief.
Personally, I think this quote stresses the importance of history and solidarity. Stories bring people together. Storytelling can be manifested through many different forms, whether it is through a second grade classroom sitting at the feet of their teacher as she reads Charlotte’s Web or esteemed historians writing a textbook on British history. As humans, it is a fact of life that we innately crave connection with others. Whether the connection is with people from the past or present, storytelling is a great way to maintain a mutual understanding and feeling of solidarity within a community.
Additionally, storytelling is important because it passes down, creates, and analyzes history. It is important that we foster a relationship with historical storytelling, so we have better chances of understanding the mistakes made by humankind. In doing so, there is a smaller chance that history will repeat itself. If people did not document historical events, society as a whole would be robbed of the opportunity to connect with the stories of their ancestors, culture, etcetera.
As discussed in class, the moment from Didion’s documentary that piqued my interest was the brief mention of the little girl on acid wearing white lipstick. While most people would be horrified at the sight of a little girl tripping in the street, Didion seemed unphased. She immediately thought of this image as a journalist’s treasure, one that would add great and moving content to her story. This shows how fiercely Didion lives her life as a writer and reporter. When asked by the interviewer how she felt about the situation, she responded that it was “gold”. She does not let herself get caught up in ethics because finding hidden gems and crafting stories is her life. However, I would have liked to know more about that little girl’s story. What was her name? What were the circumstances that led her there? How did she get the drug? Where are her parents? The list goes on. It was also implied that a scene like this may have been common in Los Angeles in the 60s (the era of free love, music, and drugs). This setting served as the foundation for many stories (especially Didion’s), some shocking, intense, sad or happy.
