In this particular scene of The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath, Esther is taking the train back to Massachusetts with streaks of Marco’s blood across her face. Her mother meets her at the train station and tells her that she did not get accepted to the writing course that she applied to. She is not too fond of the idea of spending her summer in Massachusetts. Esther gets a letter in the mail from Buddy, which said that he was falling in love with a nurse, however, if Esther goes to see him during the summer she may be able to win him back. She then writes on the back of the letter that she is engaged and never wants to see Buddy again. Esther is trying to leave her past and forget about the things that brought her down. When she tells Buddy that …show more content…
she never wants to see him again, it gives her a sense of purity, knowing that someone in the past will hopefully no longer be with her. Esther is trying to find this sense of purity that allows for her to accept herself. However, the key line, “A wan reflection of myself, white wings, brown ponytail, and all, ghosted over the landscape,” (Plath 121), captures the effects Esther’s unsuccessful attempts to feel a sense of both purity and self acceptance have had on her. “Reflection of myself” is how she views herself during this time.
Esther is having a hard time accepting the person that she is trying to become. She views herself as an outlier and has little confidence. The loss of identity that she has created has a negative impact on who she is as a person. In another example, while Esther is in the elevator, she looks at herself in the mirror and does not recognize her reflection, “A big, smudgy-eyed Chinese women staring idiotically into my face. It was only me, of course. I was appalled to see how wrinkled and used up I looked,” (Plath 18). In her reflection, she views herself as someone she no longer recognizes. She has lost her identity of who she once was and now identifies herself as a …show more content…
stranger. “A wan” seems to be a time where Esther sees herself almost exhausted and ill, unable to be herself. Esther is constantly choosing between what she wants and society’s standards. Society's expectations weigh Esther down to the point where she no longer has her own identity. The pressure that society has on what a typical woman should become is a housewife. However, Esther does not want to become what every woman grows up to be. She continues to lose her identity because she is so wrapped in the thought of how people view her, and what society wants that she can no longer do the things that she wants to do. “I started adding up all the things that I couldn’t do. I started with cooking,” (Plath 75). She talks about how her mother and grandmother constantly taught her how to cook, but all the information that she was given just slid through her head. Esther comes to a point in the book, where she can no longer keep up her own hygiene because she is so consumed with what she has to become. She was so focused on society’s expectations that she didn’t bother showering or keeping up with hygiene. “I hadn’t washed my hair for three weeks, either. I hadn’t slept for seven nights,” (Plath 127). Esther doesn’t see herself as the girl that she once was, but instead she views her reflection as someone who has become exhausted and beaten down. Therefore Esther has not grasped the concept of self acceptance and is struggling to find her own true identity. The loss of Esther’s identity seems to begin when she no longer felt pure and was trying to regain purity by representing things with the color “white” that was said throughout the book.
Esther contradicted herself because she wanted things to be pure, but at the same time do things that would make her no longer pure by cultural standards. Over the course of the book, Esther describes everything as being so pure and so white. “When I was nineteen, pureness was the great issue,” (Plath 82). Esther wanted to reach the “boundary line” meaning to cross the line that divided things from being pure and impure. She had such an obsession over pureness that after the age of 10, she wanted to try out the path of impure things. Esther continuously tried many things in search to find the version of herself that she can finally
accept. However, things seemed to take a turn when she lost her virginity with Irwin. She chooses to lose her virginity and after her virginity is lost she tries to cover it up with the multiple “white” towels that she continues to use. “I applied a fresh section of white towel to my wound, thinking that as soon as the bleeding stopped, I would take the late trolley back to the asylum,” (Plath 230). The thought of her not being pure seemed to create a big impact on the person that she wants to become. By Esther becoming “impure” it made her feel powerful like she had control over what Irwin did to her. The feeling she has of no longer feeling pure helps her build upon whom she can accept as herself. The “wings” are her trying to become free. Esther is always trying to find a way to make herself free and most of the time she is trying to kill herself to feel free. Esther thought that by becoming free she would be getting herself out of the misery that she is currently living in. Esther is feeling this sense of trap. “If Mrs. Guinea had given me a ticket to Europe, or a round-the-world cruise, it wouldn’t have made a difference to me… I would be sitting under the same glass bell jar, stewing in my own sour air,” (Plath 185). Esther feels as if no matter where she, goes she is going to be stuck in the same place. Not only do the wings represent herself trying to become free, but they are also representing the thought of her identity being launched off in that it is no longer in sight. It is now in a place that can no longer be found. “I felt dull and flat and full of shattered pieces,” (Plath 60). When Esther no longer has sight of who she is because the “wings” took her identity, she then begins to feel dull, useless, and feel as if her life is falling apart. Again, Esther can’t accept the person that she is and instead loses who she use to be. The word “ponytail” describes Esther as if she is trying to put her life back together. Her life was so consumed on how other people view her that she never had anytime to think for herself. The word ponytail represents someone who is put together and knows what needs to get done. Esther is trying to become that put together person and put her life back together. She has been searching for a new identity and has finally come to the realization that she is not going to be like everyone else, but instead becomes her own person. The ponytail represents the finalizing of her identity as if this is who she wants to become. Esther knows that things are not going to be picture perfect and the things in the past are always going to be a part of her. This is where she moves on and becomes a stronger person because of that. At the end of the book, Esther repeats the same two words, three times, like she did previously in the beginning of the book, but however, shares it with us with more confidence, dignity, and pride into who she is becoming. “I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart. I am, I am, I am,” (Plath 243). Esther says it as if she has faith in the person that she wants to become. The word “ponytail” also implies the feminine expectations during this time period. The women’s job was to be a “housewife.” For example, cooking, cleaning, caring for the children, and doing things around the house. Esther never wanted to be a housewife or have a family, which goes against what the feminine expectations were. Her grandmother and mother would teach her what the “typical” women would do, such as cook, shorthand, and dance. “I didn’t know shorthand either. This meant I couldn’t get a good job after college,” (Plath 76). The thought of not knowing some of the things that the other women did make her feel as if she couldn’t succeed. These feminine expectations created a large impact on Esther forming her identity. Esther states that “I hated the idea of serving men in any way, I wanted to dictate my own thrilling letts,” (Plath 76). She wanted to feel independent and not have to be in control of other people. Esther didn’t want to be any lower than anybody else, she wanted to be equal. She is trying to accept that she doesn’t have to be like everyone else was during that time. If she can move on past what everyone else is doing, and focus on what she wants she will be able to accept the person that she wants to be. Esther is continually wanting to isolate herself and be invisible. She acts like a “ghost” while in the asylum. Esther’s mother would bring her flowers, however, Esther never accepted them and instead threw them in the trash. She never wanted people to bring attention towards her and didn’t want to be recognized. “I felt it was very important not to be recognized,” (Plath 114). She would constantly tell the nurses that she didn’t want any visitors to come into her room. Esther wanted to be alone and isolate herself it created a big impact on the loss of her identity. It is difficult to communicate and fit in with other human beings when someone like Esther continues to isolate themselves. Esther had a visitor named George stop in, she was very angry when the nurses allowed for him to come into her. Her response when he showed up was, “I don’t want a visitor,” (Plath 172). The thought of seeing other people for Esther was almost as if it reminded her of her past. The past life was something that Esther wanted to forget, but it is something that can truly shape her identity in the future. The word “ghosted” is a verb in the past tense. It creates an image of post death. Ghosted also represents a result of death. Throughout the book Esther continuously talks about the thought of death and the multiple actions she took to try and kill herself. She doesn’t see herself as reborn and needs Dr. Nolan’s help to do so. The death of Joan left Esther with guilt even though she did nothing wrong. Dr. Nolan was able to reassure her that Joan’s death was no one's fault, let alone Esther’s. “We’ll take up where we left off, Esther,” she had said, with her sweet martyr’s smile. We’ll act as if all this were a bad dream,” (Plath 237). In order for Esther to become independent and to accept herself as who she is, she needs the reassurance of Dr. Nolan. In the end she accepts her “landscape,” however, during this time of her feeling “ghosted” she has yet to accept it. The “landscape” represents her life as a whole and what she has been through. The things that she has been through in the past (attempting suicide, etc) are always going to be a part of her identity, but it is how she moves forward that will help shape the person that she is trying to become. “But they were a part of me. They were my landscape,” (Plath 237). Esther realizes that the things that make up her “landscape” will always be somehow a part of her. Towards the end of the book she reflects on her past life and the things that she has achieved and moved past while in the asylum. For example, before going into the asylum, she never had the thought of going to college and getting a degree. Then in the last page of the book she mentions that she wants to go to college and start with a “clean slate.” She finally as at a place where she can accept who she is as a person and the sense of purity that she has felt throughout that process. When Esther states, “A wan reflection of myself, white wings, brown ponytail, and all, ghosted over the landscape,” (Plath 112). Esther had trouble with finding an identity that she could accept. This line implies the extent to which Esther is trying to feel a sense of purity, as well, as searching for identity that she can be happy with. At the end of the novel, Esther states “I was perfectly free” (Plath 242) when leaving the asylum. She also reveals being able to accept the identity that she has started to create.
Plath uses metaphors to describe the protagonists entrapment, suffocation and torture. Bill Gibson (2000) clearly defines the purpose of the metaphorical bell jar, stating that the “bell jar is a entrapment, and a way of placing one on a display of sorts, behind a glass”. Hence, Plath uses the bell jar to describe how she feels- an object, to be stared and looked upon. - mom low ideas of mental illness- So plath uses the imagery of the bell jar to convey the suffocation and isolation that is felt by all women. Also, the unlimited expectations that society creates for women and esther’s failure to achieve the expectations leads to her sorrow and disillusionment. Hence, esther
Esther losing her virginity leads to her being “half black with blood” (p.219), a symbol of blood to indicate a new her: “I felt a part of a great tradition” (p.219). Furthermore, blood symbolism is used when Marco, “a woman-hater” (p.102), attempts to rape Esther and when she resists, leaves her “with two strokes stained on my cheeks” (p.105). Plath uses the symbol to represent major defining milestones in Esther’s life, similarly to other situations, such as the suicide attempts. The blood symbolism also represents the violence that can attach itself to sex in a society where women are seen as lower, especially for younger women. In these situations, Esther believes she is reaching “a new condition in peace” (p.219), but often she is putting herself in dangerous situations. This is too similar to Holden, who hires a prostitute to lose his virginity as he has “never got around it yet” (p.83). Her young and nervous demeanour begins to make him feel “more depressed than sexy” (p.86), and this leads to a violent standoff between him and Sunny’s pimp. Both authors use characterisation and Plath uses symbolism to make a point about the confused mindset adolescents have; both males and females believe that it should change their identity drastically, however, the transition for each has a different purpose. The authors are attempting to convince the reader that adolescents are often misinformed about sex and this leads to the idolisation of losing their virginity; a negative belief that often leads to mistakes and hurt. Idolising this concept leads them to adopting it as a part of their
The Bell Jar is an autobiography of a female sophomore. The girl-Esther, who is 19 years old, came from suburban area of Boston. As she had talent writing skills, she was invited to New York to serve as guest editor in a national fashion magazine office. In her one-month stay in New York, on one hand, Esther was cautious and conscientious to learn from an able and efficient female editor-Jay Cee, and she dreamt to follow Jay Cee’s successful step. On the other hand, she met various men and women in her colorful social life. These experiences reminded her of her life in women’s university, especially her relationship with her boyfriend- Buddy Willard. As the recollection often interweaved with reality, they brought Esther perplexity, discouragement and lost. Esther could not even more figure out the significance of reality as well as the goal of her own life. When her life in New York came to an end, Esther came back her hometown to spend the summer vacation with her mother. However, a new incident hard hit Esther- she was rejected by the writing course that she was given high expectation by professors in her university. The conservative atmosphere in the town made Esther feel days wear on like years. Esther denied completely that all achievements she got in past 19 years, and she even felt doubtful and terrified toward the future. Facing such heavy pressure, she was broken down totally. Since she was lost at that time, she tried to put an end to her life. After she was saved, she received psychological consultation in a psychiatric hospital. In this period, she rethought and relocated her position, and she rebuilt confidence step by step. At the end of the novel, Esther waited to leave hospital and she looked forward to starting a...
The character of Esther is widely criticized for her perfection as a character, both receiving positive acclaims and negative feedback. Esther’s reserved, quiet character illustrates the role of women during the Victorian period and what little impact on society women played. Critics of Bleak House generally praise the narration and Dickens’s use of Esther’s character, which gives direction to the novel.
Behrent, Megan. "Trapped in The Bell Jar." SOCIALISTWORKER.org 25 Mar. 2013: Web. 26 Oct. 2015. .
In the novel, Esther Greenwood, the main character, is a young woman, from a small town, who wins a writing competition, and is sent to New York for a month to work for a magazine. Esther struggles throughout the story to discover who she truly is. She is very pessimistic about life and has many insecurities about how people perceive her. Esther is never genuinely happy about anything that goes on through the course of the novel. When she first arrives at her hotel in New York, the first thing she thinks people will assume about her is, “Look what can happen in this country, they’d say. A girl lives in some out-of-the-way town for nineteen years, so poor she can’t afford a
In her search for identity, Esther often compares herself to others. One sign of depression is the feeling the need to compare yourself to others. Throughout the story, Esther questions other’s morals and characteristics and tries to apply them to herself. One example of this is at the beginning of the novel. She wonders if she is more like her friend Betsy, or her friend, Doreen. She describes Betsy as a good girl, and Doreen as more of the bad girl type. Although Betsy is a cheerful and optimistic person, Esther concludes that she can relate more to Betsy. She cannot understand why though, because she feels as if she is not a happy, nor optimistic person.
“Perhaps when we find ourselves wanting everything, it is because we are dangerously close to wanting nothing.” ( http://thinkexist.com/quotes/sylvia_plath/)
She then started going back to school, and she was so happy that she could go back she just wants to be able to make friends and have fun and be young. After a few weeks, Esther has come to the conclusion that her aunt was taken from her family and she is more worried than ever.
Throughout that time period roles of women has been objectified to fit in a masculine society. Women were expected to be stay at home wives and mothers. Having children and a husband was the ideal life for women in the eyes of men in the time frame of this novel. Most of the novel is about the pressure and expectations that others have for Esther in regards to her future and the expectations Esther herself has for others. The bell jar is mostly populated with characters that are female stereotypes. Character such as Dodo Conway who is the pregnant women that is placid and content, flabby and misshapen, Doreen who possesses vulgarity and frivolity, Mrs. Willard who is a well refined, well mannered, also woman who lets her husband walk all over her. Jay CEE, a lady who follows her ambition but to society she doesn’t fit on the outside because she is more masculine. Mrs. Willard, a woman who represents society’s expectations. She life of a mother and a wife and believe, it is a woman duty to fulfill these roles. “What a man want’s is a mate and what a woman want’s is a infinite security” and “What a man is is an arrow into the future and what a woman is is the place the arrow shoots off from.” For all these women it is somewhat impossible for them to to assert their independence in this male dominated world and not be male dependent. These women crowds Esther’s mind and
The glass of which a bell jar is constructed is thick and suffocating, intending to preserve its ornamental contents but instead traps in it stale air. The thickness of the bell jar glass prevents the prisoner from clearly seeing through distortion. Sylvia Plath writes with extreme conviction, as The Bell Jar is essentially her autobiography. The fitting title symbolizes not only her suffocation and mental illness, but also the internal struggle of Plath's alter ego and novel protagonist Esther Greenwood. The novel illustrates the theme confinement by highlighting the weaknesses of both Esther and Plath.
Life is full of endless amounts of beautiful encounters for every character in the novel The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, except for Esther. She suffers from a severe and complex mental illness that impacts her life greatly. Although it is clear that Esther suffers strongly from depression in the novel, Sylvia Plath chooses to tell her life abstractly through countless symbols and ironies to prove that Esther depression completely consumes her. Everything that Esther sees is through a lens of depression, which scews her outlook on life.
She claims that she has `always wanted to learn German` although `the very sight of those dense, black, barbed-wire letters made my mind shut like a clam`. Esther associates the language with her `German-speaking father`, who `cane from some manic-depressive hamlet in the black heart of Prussia'. I think that Esther`s stunt in progress is directly linked to the death of her father, and the little that she knows about him, and that a major factor contributing to her eventual suicide attempt is the fact that she used to be the best and no longer can be.
The beginning of the novel introduces the reader to Esther O'Malley Robertson as the last of a family of extreme women. She is sitting in her home, remembering a story that her grandmother told her a long time ago. Esther is the first character that the reader is introduced to, but we do not really understand who she is until the end of the story. Esther's main struggle is dealing with her home on Loughbreeze Beach being torn down, and trying to figure out the mysteries of her family's past.
...es these primitive standards, she becomes melancholy because she does not attune into the gender roles of women, which particularly focus on marriage, maternity, and domesticity. Like other nineteen year old women, Esther has many goals and ambitions in her life. Nevertheless, Esther is disparaged by society’s blunt roles created for women. Although she experiences a tremendous psychological journey, she is able to liberate herself from society’s suffocating constraints. Esther is an excellent inspiration for women who are also currently battling with society’s degrading stereotypes. She is a persistent woman who perseveres to accomplish more than being a stay at home mother. Thus, Esther is a voice for women who are trying to abolish the airless conformism that is prevalent in 1950’s society.