Prof. Jessica Denzer
BMCC English 101: Composition 1
Homework: Unit 1
Joan Didion- On Self Respect
Questions: (Questions should be typed up to be handed into me)
1. Does Didion have a thesis statement? If so, what is the thesis statement and what
are the supporting ideas that strength her thesis?
2. What is Didion saying about self-respect? Do you agree, why or why not?
3. Make up your own question. Think about what you want to discuss about the text
or something that you are unsure about.
Journal Assignment: (Should be written in your writing journal)
Meditation: Joan Didion says, “Although to be driven back upon oneself is an uneasy
affair at best, rather like trying to cross a border with borrowed credentials, it seems to
me now the one condition necessary to the beginnings of real self-respect.” Think about
what this statement means and how it relates to her earlier comments about innocence.
Writing: In your journal, write on self-respect. How do you define self-respect? What
does self-respect mean to you? Using On Self Respect to support your ideas, compare and
contrast Didion’s statements with your own. In what ways do you agree with her? In what
ways do you disagree? Should be about 1-2 pages.