Esther Greenwood Character Analysis in The Bell Jar Essay Example

Throughout The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath details Esther Greenwood’s gradual disassociation from society through her perspective. Esther constantly pursues self-affirmation from outside sources and focuses on chasing titles rather than establishing a sense of individuality, leaving her unable to understand herself. When confronted with the reality that she has no sense of identity, Esther loses all control and any ability to make a decision. This newfound indecisiveness and absence of meaning prompts fears of inadequacy and social isolation that culminate in suicide attempts and institutionalization. Despite this personal deterioration, Esther eventually reaches such a low point in her life that merely surviving serves as a path towards progress. Esther’s initial tendency to gauge her meaning exclusively via external validation leaves her ultimately unable to form a full understanding of herself and prompts a downward spiral of self-proclaimed insufficiency and depression. Although she does not fully define herself at the end of the novel, these emotions spur Esther to reject her past life and society’s expectations of women and set forward with a newfound sense of freedom.

Esther’s persistent chase of titles and educational perfection leaves her with an incomplete self-understanding, spurring a loss of purpose that climaxes in a forfeit of control. Esther has only known an environment where people notice and reward her hard work, but as her schooling comes to an end, she must confront the reality that she will no longer receive feedback on every action. The end of this era for Esther marks a shift of meaning and necessitates discovering a new passion. She claims that pursuing education was “what she wanted” to do with her life because the system consistently reminded her that she excelled at it (Plath, 31). However, during a time of reflection, she notes that this plan only “seemed” desirable (31). Rather than using an absolute verb, Esther deliberately chooses the word “seem” to suggest that this appearance does not align with reality. Thus, Esther reveals that she has convinced herself that she enjoyed something merely because it made her feel good about herself. Yet as Esther realizes that she can no longer rely on this self-deception, she feels like “dropping clean out of the race” (29). Once struck with the truth that the only meaningful thing in her life was fleeting, Esther finds herself unable to respond to her crisis of purpose. She claims she feels like a “racehorse without racetracks,” to suggest that she has lost her fundamental motivation in life (77). Like a horse without a clear path, Esther struggles to find any direction for the future. Pursuing a lifestyle merely because it affirmed her abilities deluded Esther into thinking her previous life was meaningful, and now she faces the consequences of a purposeless life.

Since Esther now feels a sense of emptiness and trepidation for the future, her deep insecurities render her unable to make decisions and prompt a rejection of all types of social norms. When eating lunch with a prominent poet, Esther describes how she executed her actions with “extreme apprehension” and admired the poet’s lack of care for others’ perspectives (27). As noted, Esther looks beyond herself to help define her self-worth, and thus feels it is necessary to always act properly if she wants others to hold a high opinion of her. Similarly, when Esther enters a cloudy room, she believes that the smoke has “materialized as a sort of judgment,” emphasizing her social anxiety and uncalled for suspicion of external evaluations (18). This fear eventually strips Esther’s ability to make decisions and ignites her depression. When pondering her future, Esther notes that choosing a certain lifestyle meant “losing all the rest” (77). Rather than focusing on the possibility to pursue a passion, she feels limited by social expectations and a lack of motivation. Despite her desire to fulfill the prospects of those around her, Esther strongly rejects the patriarchal structure of the 1950s. She claims she hated the idea of “serving men,” and shows contempt towards Dodo Conway because she represents conforming to this social hierarchy (76). Esther’s inability to balance two lifestyles prompts her eventual decision to sulk in misery and completely reject all of society. As seen after her encounter with Marcos, Esther claims she “didn’t see” why people would gaze at her wretched appearance (113). Even though an earlier version of herself would be disgusted by her current looks and worried about others’ opinions, she has gone so far against the grain that she no longer lives in fear of judgment and can advance her life without solely considering others’ perspectives.

While Esther loses all meaning to the extent that she tries to end her life, her period of personal reflection allows her to rely solely on herself and set the foundation for forming a newfound identity. When Dr. Nolan tells Esther she will no longer see visitors, she thinks this is “wonderful” news (201). By prohibiting guests, Esther is excluded from society and separated from any forms of persuasion. While some may claim that Esther’s joy is a testament to her unstable mindset, this standpoint overlooks Esther’s previous experiences with solitude. Rather than attempting suicide, Esther now smiles at the idea of seclusion, suggesting a novel attitude towards life and progress towards self-understanding. Moreover, Esther’s hatred of Joan represents a rejection of her past life. Esther claims that Joan was a “double of her old self,” and reflected Esther’s negative experiences (205). Thus, by rejecting Joan, Esther indirectly dismisses her past and verbalizes her self-hatred onto Joan. Likewise, Esther’s decision to sleep with Irwin implies an escape from the stress of her virginity. After their interaction, Esther vows to never speak to Irwin and feels “perfectly free” because she is no longer burdened by her sexual naiveness and has simultaneously rejected the idea of serving a man (242). By rejecting her past and attempting to remove significant areas of anxiety in her life, Esthers feels that she is “climbing” to a sense of freedom (223). Even though her journey towards self-discovery will be difficult, as evidenced by the struggle connoted from climbing, Esther has laid the foundation for progress by realizing her personal liberties. Although she has yet to fully understand herself, by abandoning her previous life and moving towards freedom, Esther Greenwood has escaped the bell jar of uncertainty and will move forward striving to form an identity.