In DEMOCRACY, calculated deception is necessary to the survival of political families. As such, Didion pointedly juxtaposes the reality of her characters' lives and the image they attempt to project to public. Write an essay, examining this juxtaposition in three parts:

Part 1) How is the Christian family viewed as a liability in the '72 presidential run of Harry Victor? How does the neo-colonial attitude of the Christians undermine the image that Victor is trying to cultivate?

Part 2) How does Billy Dillon's reaction to the Paul Christian shootings reflect a sense of desperate deception? In what ways does he attempt to spin the story to make Paul Christian seem like a victim after her murders his own daughter? What does this indicate about Billy Dillon's compassion?

Part 3) In what respect is Inez's abandonment of the Christian family with Jack Lovett represent the shattering of the PR illusion created by Billy Dillon? How does he react to this final betrayal?

Essay Topic 2

In the novel, Inez Victor offers two viewpoints regarding America's place in the world community. These viewpoints derive from our country's collective reaction to the war in Vietnam and are represented by the characters of Harry Victor and Jack Lovett. Write an essay about these opposing viewpoints in three parts:

Part 1) What is Harry Victor's attitude toward the Vietnam War? How does he think America should impact the world community? What should we foster and what should we avoid? To what extent is his viewpoint a moral viewpoint?

Part 2) How does Jack Lovett feel about the relationships among nations? How does his career reflect this attitude? Does he appear to have unifying

worldview? Are his actions purely pragmatic?

Part 3) In what way does the relationship between Lovett and Victor represent the friction between pragmatism and idealism? Does Inez Victor represent the American people, as such?

Essay Topic 3

Living beneath the surface of the narrative is the end of the Vietnam War. In the first half of the novel, Didion makes explicit mention of the Fall of Saigon. Write an essay about this historical moment becomes incredibly important both thematically and in terms of the narrative. Which characters are personally involved in the end of the war? How does defeat in Vietnam ripple through the lives of the characters in the novel and through the history it dramatizes?

(see the answer keys)

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