The Bell Jar

I would like to argue that Esther’s character is entirely too complex to boil down to pitiful or unappreciative. She is a character realizing that the accomplishments and involvement she prided herself in are no longer satisfying; furthermore, she in fact does not know what it is she wants. This is a coming of age novel, she is facing maturity and more permanent decisions with a growing uncertainty that warns her of their worth.

I also feel that her callousness toward those who attempt to care for her has its reasons. As I mentioned, she is questioning life and the impact of its impermanence. In addition, those who she has idolized have disappointed her. Buddy turns out to be a “hypocrite,” Doreen abandons her in a house full of women they equally dislike for a man and Jay Cee only encourages Esther to persist in overworking herself.

There is a loneliness in Esther’s life that is truly sympathetic. Perhaps she is subjecting herself to an unnecessary amount solitude, yet when you review her losses and disappointments, her hesitance is understandable. Esther does not even a home. All of the dorms and summer housing that she has lived in is temporary and shared, and she points out that she has not lived in the same house alone with her mother for more than a week.

Esther doesn’t even find a true friend until she moves into the asylum after attempting suicide. And this is her doctor. But I would maintain that Doctor Nolan assumes this role because even after Esther feels betrayed by her, she not only takes her apology sincerely, but she also leans on her for support. I also do not believe that there is an instance in which Esther belittles or takes for granted their relationships. She notes her indebtedness to Dr. Nolan when claiming that if she would have been assigned to Dr. Quinn, she probably would not have recovered as well as she had.