Part 3, Seven Places of the Mind: Letter from Paradise, 21' 19' N., 157' 52' W. Summary and Analysis

Didion visits Hawaii; she knows it as the place that caused her father to have to leave the family during the war, then as a place of fun in the sun, and later as the place where a great-great-grandfather was laid to rest after working as a teacher there. While visiting the island, Didion goes to visit the memorial at Pearl Harbor, curious to see how people react when faced with the deaths of so many brave soldiers. On the way to the memorial the people laugh and joke, but later Didion loses track of their reactions because she becomes so overwhelmed with her own grief. Even sadder to Didion are the visits...