I find Esther to be extremely relatable, both as a scholar and as a woman. As I was reading the first half of The Bell Jar, a few things about her stood out to me that were particularly relatable. These instances made Esther that much more human, but also provide us with a sense of her true self.
- Esther thinks of the best comebacks, hours after the argument takes place.
I do this all the time, especially in the shower. The hot and calming water always brings out my best ideas or best comebacks, but it also serves as time of self-reflection. As Esther says on pg. 22, “I never feel so much myself as when I’m in a hot bath,” rings true for me as well. The water almost strips you of all worries and unclouds the hazy ideas in your brain. When we discussed this section of the novel in class, we saw the cleanse of the water as an intense rebirth or a distancing from her stranger life in New York. However, I think this scene can also be interpreted as a simple unwinding, something that all of us do, albeit described in a passionate way.
- Esther drinks the fingerbowl, along with the floating cherry blossoms in it.
I thought this was one of the funniest moments the the beginning of the book and probably something that I would do at a fancy brunch. Esther describes this faux pas in passing, but her nonchalant wording makes the situation that much more horrifyingly hilarious. I was definitely cringe-laughing by the time I found out Mrs. Guinea let her drink it without saying anything. This situation makes Esther infinitely more likable, but it also suggests that maybe she isn't meant to be in New York City. Her place is not at fancy functions with the elite, an idea that we see blossoming throughout the entire first section of the novel.
- Esther eats all of the caviar after strategically mapping out her opponents’ seating positions.
Have you ever been at a dinner party where your absolute favorite food is being served and by the time you get to it it’s all gone? Maybe the Uni Orientation Picnic comes to mind? I have and I definitely sympathize with Esther’s efforts to keep the caviar to herself. Her detailed description of Betsy and Doreen’s position at the dinner table in relation to the caviar was quite amusing, yet also comes with a morbid and serious backdrop. Before mentioning the caviar at all Esther talks in length about her home life and the poverty she grew up in. Perhaps her previously selfish actions should be interpreted as survival techniques stemming from her childhood and leading to her disassociation from New York City.
Although these instances might not be the most crucial in understanding Esther in the entirety of the novel, I do think they serve to showcase her very human and relatable characteristics. Plath creates a more endearing and intriguing character that the reader becomes invested in.
These were all really great moments, and as someone who frequently cites The Bell Jar as one of my favorite books ever, I definitely feel the same way—they help me relate to Esther that much more! I also think these things all contribute, as you mention, to Esther's feelings of disassociation in the fast-paced and fancy New York she experiences during her month there. Given that Esther has strived her entire life to get to what that New York represented—glamour, opportunity, success—it makes sense that serious self-doubts and identity crises occur when the reality fails to make her feel fulfilled—very to the contrary. All this makes me wonder what might've happened if Esther had spent more time with Doreen and broken out of her bubble in New York; after all, NY is a vast city with so many different kinds of people and ideas, and getting out there might have helped Esther realize what else was out there. (Then again, it might have just confused her more and added more figs to her metaphorical fig tree—who knows!)
ReplyDeleteI love all these details--they characterize Esther's relative inexperience and naivete in an endearing and relateable way, and they also help establish her authority as a narrator representing herself, since she's (like Holden) willing to depict herself in less-than-cool situations. (There's a small "confessional" style to revelations like the one about the fingerbowls--the kind of thing we wince to admit about our younger selves.)
ReplyDeleteThe thing about thinking of the best comebacks later is something most of us can relate to. And even Holden, who comes across as so quick-witted and sarcastic in his narration, isn't always so sharp in the moment--compare his carefully structure, sarcastic takedowns of people like Stradlater or Luce to the way he actually speaks to Stradlater during their bizarre fight ("You stupid stinking moron!" etc.). He's not nearly as cool and collected in the moment as it sometimes appears--his best lines are all written after the fact.