Part 1, Life Styles in the Golden Land: 7000 Romaine, Los Angeles 38, Summary and Analysis

Seven thousand Romaine is the address of the building where Howard Hughes lived. From the outside, one might assume the building was abandoned because of the boarded-up windows and overall feel of abandonment. Didion lived near the building and had many occasions to drive past it, so naturally she felt some curiosity about the man who lived inside. However, her curiosity could not match that of the general population. People often lived on stories about how Howard Hughes was buying up Las Vegas, or how he called his business associates adversaries. During this time period, Didion hears these rumors about Howard Hughes almost on a daily basis and finds herself wondering why people are so curious about this man. Howard Hughes was a...