Gardena, California

Gardena, California is the site of many Gamblers Anonymous meetings as well as many gambling houses, which Didion explores in her essay titled, "Getting Serenity." Many of the former gamblers Didion speaks to cite Gardena as a place filled with terrible memories, with their losing money, winning money, and their spiral into gambling addiction. Gardena morphs in the reader's mind from the peaceful suburb it seems to be into a location full of hidden struggles, human foibles, and desires of all kinds. The contrast between the name of the place --implying a peaceful or prosperous garden -- and the sadness of those who describe their gambling addictions in Gardena is glaring in Didion's writing.

Las Vegas

Las Vegas is the location of the World War II veterans' reunion Didion attends and writes about in "Fathers, Sons, and Screaming Eagles." The location's flashiness is reflected in the...