Esther Greenwood finds herself in a position that most other girls her age would kill to experience. A gifted writer and superb student, she tries desperately to establish a connection with her environment and create strong relationships with those around her. However, her depressive episodes, and eventual mental collapse, keep her from taking charge of her life and fulfilling the illusion of what others believe they see.
Many of her experiences lead the audience to see that she is merely on the outside looking in. She interacts with those around her, completes her duties at work and attends parties, but she is merely a spectator. There are no true bonds formed, no matter how superficial they may seem.
Seeking Authenticity in an Artificial World
Esther shows frustration over the superficial attitudes and appearances of the other girls. As she watches Doreen, she becomes more and more exasperated with the way Doreen presents herself and acts. Doreen is very flamboyant in her dress, mannerisms and speech. Esther says that she will be civil with Doreen, but will make no further attempts to become close to her.
Esther admits that she finds herself more aligned with Betsy than Doreen. To Esther, Betsy seems to be more pure and meek in manner.
Esther’s ideal of a relationship and how she viewed Buddy comes to a screeching halt with his revelation of a sexual encounter he had with another woman. Up to that point, Esther believes that there is some possibility that things could work out between the two of them. But with his admission, Buddy becomes just as tainted and hypocritical as everyone else.
Breaking Ties
The night before she leaves New York, she writes that she sat on the sunroof at the hotel where she was staying and plucked the outfits she had bought piece by piece from a bundle and fed them to the wind. She says that the articles of clothing fluttered as the ashes of a loved one would flutter on the wind.
Such haunting imagery illustrates the disdain she feels toward the persona she tried to create while staying in New York. The person she appeared to be was not authentic, and it caused her emotional nausea. To allow the clothing to flutter on the wind was a more gentle way of cutting the ties.
Emotional Collapse
After returning home, and finding out that she had not made it into the writing program, her emotional and mental health begins to crumble. She writes that the anticipation of attending the writing program was the only thing that kept her going while she was away. With that opportunity taken from her, she has nothing to do but to try to figure out where to go from the present moment.
The option of suicide becomes more dominant in her mind. Following some apathetic attempts, she finds herself seeing Dr. Gordon. She is essentially not impressed with Dr. Gordon. He does not react the way that Esther feels that he should. She finds him to be slow and unable, or unwilling, to understand what she trying to tell him of her symptoms and behavior.
Following her first shock treatment, the paranoia seems to set in fiercely. Esther comments that she would withdraw all her money from the bank, but that she is fearful that the bank is in contact with the doctor and he would find out. The paranoia she experiences spreads to more than just collusion.
The Bell Jar
The symbolism of the bell jar demonstrates that Esther feels that she has become stagnant. She states that no matter where she goes, or would have the opportunity to go, would not make any difference. Esther would still be enclosed in the bell jar that is asphyxiating her. She would be unable to feel, or react, to anything.
Though one normally associates the bell jar with preserves, Greenwood demonstrates that this isn’t always the case. Though she tries desperately to preserve her ideal of how things should be, and what she wants to accomplish, she is dying in the process.
Plath, Sylvia. The Bell Jar. New York: Bantam Books, 1981.
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