Didion: Grief and Faith

In The Year of Magical Thinking Joan Didion gives us a narrative detailing her inner-monologue during the year immediately following the fatal heart attack of her husband John. Didion's grief is presented in an unpolished form; Didion does not filter her grief. Grief is, by nature, selfish and self-centered. Grief is not for the deceased; grief is not for the other survivors; grief completely exists for the grieving. Additionally, Didion's grief is portrayed in its rawest and most uncensored state. Didion realizes that some readers will think negatively of this memoir. She knows that some will see it as "boo-hooing" or "thumbsucking". People who would see grief this way have either never felt grief or have refused to face their on grief without deluding themselves. Faith is opposite of grief. Faith gives a future to the deceased and it offers inspiration to other survivors. Faith offers fairy tales to cope with loss. So why do we read books like The Year of Magical Thinking? What do we ask from Didion's and other writter's narratives of tragedy and loss. We see in their narratives the most powerful beings in the universe, human beings, battling with powerful, unseen forces. It's like real life science fiction, but not drivel with space ships and super powers.