Analysis Of Didion s On Self Respect - 1612 Words

In Didion’s emotional yet dominant essay, â€Å"On Self- Respect,† found in Slouching Towards Bethlehem, she defines the true meaning of value to oneself, while indicating that reactions of weakness and humiliation, based on the approval of bystanders, inhibits true acceptance. Her work was published in 1968 by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux to an American magazine Vogue, in a time when many intellectual Americans believed they were standing at the dawn of the Golden Age. The emergence of The Human Potential Movement, in the 1960s, would authorize full use of personal capacities, leading to self-actualization and fulfillment of pleasure. In today’s society, many people find themselves unsuccessful, according to the definition created by society,†¦show more content†¦As a result of this rejection, Didion developed the definition of self-respect that we all accept, one placing the opinion of others above her own. This personal and vulnerable memory included in the essay marks a point in Didion’s life where she encountered an unfair situation and began to struggle with acceptance of self-respect. Here, Didion dismisses the preconceived notion that she always held full self-respect for herself by labeling herself inferior to the sorority. Despite Didion’s current achievements for the popular Vanity Fair magazine, this personal anecdote shows failure, allowing Didion to appeal to ethos and pathos. She does not intend for the audience to sympathize for her shame, but to provide a personal example of the negative impact an ordinary individual can encounter with the incorrect definition of self-respect. Didion also displays credibility by re-evaluating her own level of self-respect to relate with the audience as they develop this characteristic. Didion uses inclusive pronouns such as, â€Å"we† and â€Å"our,† to once again highlight that she is relatable to the audience. This allows for construction of Didionâ€⠄¢s character by displaying credibility by appearance of standard individual, rather than a famous author and model. Didion’s use of ethos allows her to present