Sympathy for Esther

I also have been considering Esther’s personality and trying to decipher whether or not she is a character with which I can sympathize. Initially, I did not like her at all. I think what bothered me the most about her was definitely the Doreen incident. I cannot imagine just leaving a person (I would say friend but I am not sure that Esther ever really considered Doreen a friend) laying in their own vomit the way that Esther did. Even if I did not like a person that well, I think I could still muster up enough respect for a person to help them in a time of need like that. Esther, however, just could not be bothered to help Doreen and could only think about the sleep she was missing out on. And then, even after Esther did not help her, Doreen still managed to be a friend when Esther was sick and needed one. This is what initially turned me off to Esther. There were other little incidents that showed her lack of respect for others and selfish personality, such as figuring out ways to somehow get all of the food around her at the luncheon, but the Doreen incident was definitely the one that made me not like Esther in the beginning.

As I read on, however, I began to realize that Esther’s selfish ways were really a result of her own inner loneliness. When Esther starts to contemplate suicide, I realized that she must honestly not be able to think of anyone or anything she cares enough about to miss in her life. I personally can think of so many reasons to live. I think that a person who feels they have nothing to live for is someone that deserves a little sympathy. But at the same time, a part of me considers suicide to be a very selfish act and it is hard for me to feel sympathy for someone who does not consider other people’s feelings before they take their life. So, I am still somewhat uncertain of how I feel about Esther and whether or not she is a character for which I can feel genuine sympathy.