Fragments of the Present: Identity, Style, and Forms of Storytelling in Joan Didion's Writing

This thesis analyses the writing of Joan Didion, one of the most significant figures in American journalism and literature from the twentieth century to the present. Didion's unique narrative style, marked by fragmentation, personal voice, and a tension between reality and subjectivity, can be understood both as a result and a reaction to the social and political crises of her era. From this perspective, her work is examined as a bridge between contemporary literary forms and the New Journalism movement. The study combine critical frameworks from feminist theory, cultural studies, and narrative theory with close readings of Didion's main works (Blue Nights, The White Album, The Year of Magical Thinking, and Slouching Towards Bethlehem). According to the thesis, Didion's impact is a result of her ability to transform journalism into a space for women's voices and critical analysis, offering a way of narrating that is still important to understand identity, culture, and memory in contemporary literature.