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After reading the first seven chapters of The Bell Jar, I like many other students, see many similarities between this novel and A Jest of God.  Within the first few pages of the novel, I noticed that Esther is a lot like Rachel in that she seems “stuck”. We know that Rachel is stuck just by hearing her speak about the town she has never left, the home she has lived in all her life, her virginity that she still has at 34 and the way that she describes her career as an elementary school teacher as she talks about how the children never get older but she does. Esther, while having many more accomplishments and a much more outgoing personality than Rachel still seems stuck. She has gotten far with her scholarships and drive, however she doesn’t know where she wants to go from there as she tells her boss in a meeting. ( I don’t have the book with me or I would refer to her exact words).  

                Rachel’s inability to progress in her life is largely because of her own shortcomings and lack of self confidence, however she has more external obstacles to overcome than Esther. For example, her mother who constantly nags her and uses her heart condition to keep her at home. Some of you may not agree with this, but I don’t see anything in the way of Esther’s progression other than herself.  She has been given the privilege of a free college tuition as well as an opportunity many people would love to have and she is very talented at what she does.  I do think that she has a low self confidence just as Rachel does, but does not have the external obstacles to overcome like Rachel.

                Like several other students, I did see a similarity between the relationship of Doreen and Esther and Rachel and Nick. Nick and Doreen both serve as characters that bring out some ambition and optimism out of Rachel and Esther. Rachel envies Nick for his ability to not care what others think and do basically whatever he wants. She sees him as a free spirit which she is definitely not.  Esther envies Doreen for her beauty and free spirit as well. Doreen is not afraid to stray from whatever the crowd is doing and she definitely has no problem expressing what is on her mind. At one point in the novel Rachel says something about how Esther says what is on everyone else’s mind that they would never say. (Again,if I had the novel with me I would refer to the precise quotation).

                I am excited to read the final chapters and see whether Esther actually becomes “unstuck”. I didn’t quite get the ending I was hoping for with Rachel, so maybe Esther will pull through!