The Year of Magical Thinking

What are the five stages of grief? Examine Didion’s book through the lens of these five stages. How do her experiences reflect or differ from these stages?

How have societal views and approaches to grief and mourning shifted over time? In what ways are these shifts healthy or detrimental to mental health?

Didion states that it is difficult for her to think of herself as a widow, just as it was difficult for her to think of herself as a wife or mother. What role does identity play in the memoir? How is Didion’s identity tied to Dunne’s?