Adults of The Bell Jar

A detailed Summary of Adults of The Bell Jar

"The Role Models of Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar"

Throughout the novel Esther Greenwood has trouble deciding who she wants to be. Her search for an identity leads her to look at her female role models. These women are not ideal in her eyes. Although they represent a part of what she herself wants to be, Esther finds it impossible to decide which one she is to become. Jay Cee, Mrs. Willard, Philomena Guinea, her mother and Doctor Nolan all act as role models for Esther Greenwood. The ways in which these women are portrayed reveals a lot about Esther's perspectives on identity and her search for an identity of her own.

Jay Cee, Mrs. Willard, and Philomena Guinea are characterized as archetypes and therefore very limiting. Jay Cee is portrayed as hyper, abrupt and she speaks, "waspishly" (29). She is smart and talented but she is ugly. Philomena Guinea, on the other hand, says that she was stupid at college and is always described as being surrounded by beautiful things. The beauty that Esther sees as the binary opposite of ugly seems to have been acquired through her "millions and millions of dollars" (38). Jay Cee has "brains, so her plug-ugly looks [don't] seem to matter" (5). But, Philomena has money so nothing el

Esther doesn't embrace her the way she tries to embrace Esther. The only time Esther shows any kind of appreciation for Philomena is when she uses her money to get "fitted". It is then that Esther feels that Philomena buys her her freedom when actually she buys Esther's freedom many times over with college scholarships and proper treatment from Dr. Nolan, for instance. Esther rarely refers to Philomena directly, preferring instead to mention her car, her hat, her letters, objects around her, actions of Philomena to other people, but never any direct interaction between Esther and her. This tells me that Esther felt no connection with this woman. Even though Philomena obviously cared a lot for her, she just couldn't connect.

When Esther tells Doctor Nolan that she hates her mother she uncovers the recognition of her own self-loathing. This comes directly after Esther refuses to acknowledge her own birthday. She doesn't want to celebrate being born and especially with the woman who made her who she is and continues to attempt to shape her in her own image. Esther's fear of being influence by her mother is not unfounded. Her mother is characterized as heartless, inconsiderate, and self-centered and even a martyr. Everything that her mother says always becomes directed at how she herself is being affected. She is shortsighted and thoughtless. Esther herself shows similar characteristics. She leaves Doreen passed out drunk in the hallway of their hotel, she tells Joan that she doesn't like her, she's condescending and she acts like a martyr after being attacked by Marco by leaving the lines of blood on her face: They seemed touching, and rather spectacular, and I thought I would carry them around with me, like the relic of a dead lover, till they wore off of their own accord" (108).

The way each of the women is portrayed reveals a lot about Esther's perspective. Esther stresses over the choices she feels like she has to make. Her role models contribute to the decisions that she ultimately must make. They don't contribute the way Esther thinks they intended to but rather by making the d

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Approximate Word count = 1426
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English