In Joan Didion's "Slouching Towards Bethlehem," the author reflects on the unsettling nature of her environment, describing it as filled with doom and chaos. Living in such a world can feel akin to navigating a reality that is fundamentally opposite to life itself, as if surrounded by “antimatter.” This imagery conveys a sense of despair and confusion about what truly constitutes "the good."

Didion's mood portrays a profound skepticism towards the idea that goodness is an easily definable concept. In a society fraught with turmoil, the clarity of moral values becomes obscured, challenging the assumption that one can easily identify or grasp what is considered virtuous or righteous.