The Whole Megillah

We talked about the obvious biblical reference in A Jest of G-d with Rachel's name, but as far as I can tell and remember, no one has yet discussed the biblical significance of Esther's name. Esther was chosen to be the wife of the king of Persia after entering a beauty contest. When she was chosen, the king did not know she was Jewish. She hid this rather essential element of her identity out of fear, because the chief advisor to the king had convinced the king to allow him to kill all the Jewish people in Persia. When she finally does tell the king the truth, she is able to persuade him to allow the Jewish people to defend themselves against their would-be killers because, due to a legal technicality, the king cannot reverse his original decision. How does the story of the queen who saved her people and herself relate to Plath's Esther?

Our Esther, the one who narrates The Bell Jar, also hides some essential element of her being. She hides - or tries to hide - her differences from the people who are around her. She wants to be like everyone else because it looks a lot easier than being true to who she is: a deeply conflicted and highly emotional woman. Being herself means facing the truths that she does not want to face. Does she ever have the moment of revelation that lies at the conclusion of the biblical story? Not really. Her priorities are never so external as to push her into giving up her secret to save anyone else. The book ends right before the vital “confrontation” – readers are left wondering what happens to Esther. Does she triumph over her inner demons as Esther defeats evil Haman? While the book doesn’t say, perhaps we can look to Plath’s own life for the answer. The battle may have been won for Esther but Sylvia lost the war with her non-fictional demons.