Closed Reading #4

http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/in-sable-and-dark-glasses-joan-didion/

Fantasies, something we all have, allow us to indulge our greatest desires and live in our perfect world. Writer Joan Didion shares with her us her rather peculiar at times fantasy of what she thought her life as an eight year twenty-four year old would be like in the piece “In Sable and Dark Glasses”. Didion’s use of imagery, details and diction effectively portrays her desire to become worldly, independent, and sophisticated adult.    

Didion’s desire to be older and sophisticated is addressed right off the bat which the author carries out through her use of imagery. Wishing to be “followed by paparazzi” or standing on the steps of an Argentinean Court house disguised in dark sunglasses paints the picture of life that is worldly and glamourous, something that’s extremely hard to do as an eight year old. She further adds to his by recounting the memory of her family traveling on a cross continental train to see her father perhaps where her desire to travel began. Added descriptions of her domineering ways show her desire to be independent and not be controlled but the other sex, hence why her fondest fantasy is on the steps of a court house after getting a divorce. The use of diction further adds to the point, with references to things such as “sable, moor, and schubert alley,” all of which are very sophisticated and not known to many eight year olds gives another indication of her desire to be an adult. These words also show her desire to live in luxury being that sable coat being made out of fur is extremely expensive. These together firmly communicate to the reader that she wishes to be worldly and independent.

Explanation to how she even came to know about such things is shown through the use of details, language, . Didion came to know these things by observing and listening to her mother. She frequently references her mother by recounting how she “gave teas” and most importantly shared with her that her favorite age was 24, which is the reason why didion herself fantasizes herself at this age. She highly respects her mother and wants a more glamourous version of her life and a more independent one. Her respect for her mother is seen in the way she explains her habits like “giving teas” or “ tucking away her poncho.” The language used shows at her mother was meticulous and completed each task with care, something Didion herself wished to be able to do herself.  We see evidence of why she wants to be independent in the action of her grandmother; a woman who took great care to teach her grandchildren not to depend on anyone else to provide for luxuries in their life. This is communicated by Didion telling us about when her grandmother would by her flowers and trinkets, something usually done by a significant other.

Joan Didion’s uses diction, imagery, and details to show us her fantasies as a child specifically her desire to be independent and unbounded by others. The teachings of her mother and grandmother along with childhood experiences all influenced her fantasy and in the end, the woman she became.