Depression in Metaphors

Esther's path into depression is hauntingly and truthfully illustrated by Sylvia Plath. What makes this novel so deep and incredibly relevant is the notion that this depression can befall anyone. Just being in the wrong place at the wrong time in her life leads Esther down the dark and worn path of depression. Plath's metaphors for depression paint a very realistic and relatable picture.  I think depression can be a very difficult thing to describe and discuss with others, yet Plath's beautifully constructed metaphors help the reader truly delve into 'her' mind.

The first metaphor that really resonated with me was the "eye of the tornado." At the end of Chapter One, Esther says,

"I guess I should have been excited the way most of the other girls were, but I couldn’t get myself to react. I felt very still and very empty, the way the eye of a tornado must feel, moving dully along in the middle of the surrounding hullabaloo."

The imagery that this metaphor offers is extremely powerful. The eye is the calm, and seemingly dull, part of the tornado. It's the focal point, but it has no focal properties. Everything is circling around the center in a frenzy, yet the eye is never a part of the flurry happening around it. Esther is surrounded by the ever busy and ever moving New York City environment. And although she is the center of her career and life, she's disconnected and just dully being pulled along to parties and superfluous events. Most importantly, she finds it dizzying and depressing, discovering the fashion world she inhabits is superficial and disorientating.

I recently watched a YouTube video about flying into the eye of a hurricane (which is surprisingly possible). Although not a tornado, I think the video shows the unexpected calm and disassociation that Esther might be describing. [Skip to 2:45]

The other important metaphor is that of the bell jar, which illustrates so many meanings and manifestations of depression. The bell jar represents a separated and constricting environment that serves as the personal hell of the person living in it. We mentioned in class that a bell jar is traditionally used to isolate, observe, and terminate a specimen. The bottom of the jar creates a vacuum to prevent the specimen from escaping. However, it also makes the removal of the jar that much more difficult. The clear glass of the jar is particularly maddening as only the person inside knows of its presence, strangers simply see an ill person. Esther is left stewing in that jar surrounded in her own foul thoughts and mannerisms. This extremely powerful metaphor describes depression in a hauntingly poetic way. The feeling of entrapment and helplessness that I got when reading and discussing this jar was eye-opening and slightly horrifying.