The Importance of Home
As a multi-generational Californian, Didion pays keen attention to the history and present tense in her home state. With the majority of stories set in various California locations, she speaks of the Donner Party and of the establishment of Sacramento, amongst many other pieces of state lore. More personally, she writes about her family and ancestors. Above all, it is very clear that Didion values family, heritage, and home.
The Impossibility of Objectivity
As a key figure in the New Journalism movement, Didion's work cannot be viewed as purely objective and she admits just as much. Instead of covering simply what happened, or what was said, Didion turns her gaze towards the way experiences and environments felt. She does not seek to capture facts alone, but atmosphere. This approach is clearly elucidated in "On Keeping a Notebook" where Didion writes about her beginnings, and philosophies as a writer. Above all, it is of chief importance that Slouching Towards Bethlehem not be viewed unquestionably as a factual account but as a hallmark work of the Creative Nonfiction genre.
The Impossibility of Utopia
The 1960s, particularly the West Coast of the United States of America, was a social landscape rife with utopian ideals. Be it non-violence and pacifism in "Where the Kissing Never Stops," Communist ideology "Comrade Laski, C.P.U.S.A. (M-L)" or experimentation with drugs in "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" Didion follows those that pursue their own visions of paradise. Though she is never outright dismissive, she is interrogative and keen in her criticisms. She is deft at highlighting subtle flaws, hypocrisies, and fallacies. Collectively, it becomes clear that she does not believe in the possibility of utopia, and suggests instead a more realistic view of life and society.
The Importance of Self-Respect
In "On Self-Respect" Didion pontificates upon the nature of the elusive, difficult idea of self-respect. As she is clear to point out, this form of self-regard is not bolstered by social esteem or material possession but is deeply rooted in the interior of oneself. It is not vanity, or hubris but a healthy care for the self. To highlight this point, she reminisces on the embarrassing and depressing moment when she was not elected to a sorority while in college. As she realizes now, events such as that must nt factor into one's conception of oneself. She also suggests that self-respect is a trait common in one's ancestors but at risk of disappearing from the modern age. Above all, she believes that it is a crucially important trait for every healthy individual.
Social Disintegration
Be it the murders committed by Lucille Miller, or the Hippies neglecting their children to drop acid, it is evident that Didion views chaos and moral decline around her. While many considered the 1960s as a idealistic period of "free love" and expression, Didion takes a staunchly different view. Drawing from the W.B. Yeats' poem "The Second Coming," she writes, "the center cannot hold." It is with that notion that Didion studies, and details her subjects. Be it the drunken brides in Las Vegas in "Marrying Absurd" or Susan, a four year old who taks the LSD provided by her mother in "Slouching Towards Bethlehem," a sense of dread and destruction pervades throughout the collection.