Part 3, Seven Places of the Mind: Rock of Ages Summary and Analysis

Didion visits Alcatraz Island four years after its closing. The island is occupied only by the caretaker, who was once a guard at the prison, his wife, and a retired merchant marine. The prison has become too expensive to maintain, so major repairs are no longer being done, though the caretaker does occasionally make small repairs to keep busy. Didion explores the prison, thinking of the history of the prisoners who were held there, and finds it to be a peaceful place when one is not forced to stay.

This essay is a curious look at the prison at Alcatraz, a famed prison that once held some of the country's most notorious prisoners. Didion finds the place to be peaceful where it sits in the...