Literary Essay Critique

Essay 1: “Goodbye to All that” by John Didion (681-688)

Introduction

This essay appears in Joan Didion's first collection of essays namely Slouching towards Bethlehem. It is a fine piece of literature in which the writer explains different aspects of New York City and compares it to her home town Sacramento. The essay is so well written that it appears we are traveling along with Joan to the streets and corners of New York. It has very well depicted life at New York and engages the reader throughout the essay.

Thesis

The essay clearly shows the love for traveling and the precision with which the scenic descriptions have been made reflects the writer's innate ability of depicting the exact scene to the readers. It shows her perception about herself, about people and about places she visit. It can be argued that all her words are Didion's voice focused on an imagined audience, appealing to others in a profound manner.

Explanation

New York has been a traveler's favorite place since decades. But no one could describe it as beautifully as Joan Didion. She deems it to be a youthful place where life had been colorful and lively. Didian writes, “It is often said that New York is a city for only very rich and the very poor. It is less often said that New York is a city only for the very young.” Although earlier she could not adjust to the changed surroundings and contracted fever while at the hotel, it was later on that the reality dawned upon her. New York was a place, very understatedly scenic and full of love and life. “Just around every corner lay something curious and appealing, something I had never before seen or done or known about.” At first she sketches a somewhat mixed opinion about her apprehensions of ...