 Throughout the memoir, Styron discusses the effects of depression on the lives of several notable people, who range from accomplished authors such as Romain Gary (a close friend of Styron's), Randall Jarrell, Albert Camus, and Primo Levi (also a chemist and Holocaust survivor) to prominent political figures such as U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and activist Abbie Hoffman.Styron also mentions Jean Seberg, an American actress who experienced severe depression herself and who was also Romain Gary's second wife.Many of these individuals eventually committed suicide.