51 pages • 1 hour read
Sylvia PlathThe Bell Jar
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1963A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Esther’s father features in The Bell Jar only in his absence—he died when she was a child. What role does his death, and Mrs. Greenwood’s reaction to it, play in Esther’s search for her own identity?
At what point does Esther go from spiraling to recovery? What factors play a role in her recovery?
Compare the characters of Doctor Gordon and Doctor Nolan. How do they approach Esther’s illness differently, and how do their different strategies affect her recovery?
How are the characters of Joan Gilling and Esther Greenwood related? What does Joan represent to Esther? Does her death actually factor into Esther’s recovery, or it is purely symbolic?
Examine the birthing scene in Chapter 6 in detail. Why does Esther react the way she does to witnessing Mrs. Tomolillo giving birth?
Esther has encounters with several men—Buddy, the young sailor, Constantin, Marco, and Irwin. What do each of these men represent to her?
Esther seeks to rid herself of her virginity and is ultimately successful. How does she feel afterward? Does sleeping with Irwin help her achieve the transformation she’s looking for?
How does Esther’s relationship with her mother play into her illness? Is Mrs. Greenwood a bad parent? Does she have the capability to be a stronger supporting figure for her daughter?
In the novel’s final chapter, Esther reflects that there should be a ceremony for being reborn. What does this mean in the context of the novel? How has Esther been reborn, and which moments constitute her rebirth?
When Esther asks what lesbian women don’t see in men, Dr. Nolan replies “tenderness.” Who, if anyone, in Esther’s life shows her tenderness? How are the characters’ ability to show tenderness to one another affected by the unspoken rules of their society?
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By Sylvia Plath
