Bell Jars
During Tuesday's class we got to talking about one of the most important elements of the book, the title. In that discussion many wonderful and interesting points were brought up about the meaning of "The Bell Jar" and when combined they summarize the idea behind the whole book, and dissect a really interesting metaphor.
To start, it was useful to know what a bell jar is and what its purpose is. The best way I can describe it is a glass covering with an opening at the bottom, typically used in laboratories to house samples. Personally, I didn't really know what a bell jar was, so until it was mentioned in class I was just imagining a regular mason jar. Several really important elements characteristic of bell jars can be taken and directly applied to the situation we're observing with Esther. I think there are 3 main elements of bell jars which translate well into the narrative.
The first is that bell jars are meant to keep things in. Whatever is inside of them is not supposed to be able to escape and Esther feels precisely like that in her own mind. She feels constantly trapped, whether it be by societies expectations, or literally trapped in mental hospitals with strict rules or just on a mental level, one consistent thing throughout this novel is that feeling of enclosure.
Perhaps equally important is the idea that nothing from the outside of the bell jar can get inside. The most prominent example of how this relates to Esther would in my eyes probably be the situation with her mother really all throughout the book. I think we see a similar thing with Buddy Willard. Dr. Nolan is one of the only people we see sort of break that barrier. This is a little bit of a more loose point, but we also see a constant fascination (almost obsession) with purity coming from Esther. She doesn't like the idea of anything permeating her sterile atmosphere inside the bell jar.
The third way it relates would probably be the context in which bell jars are used: laboratories and observational studies. Esther consistently shares her displeasure at how she's being goggled at, and treated like a specimen to be poked and prodded. There was a very memorable scene where a doctor brings in medical students to come watch her. The first place her mind often goes when talking to doctors and officials (especially officials she doesn't like) is how she can trick them and undermine their fascination with her "condition".
The metaphor is a really interesting one, and I think it worked perfectly as a title for this work.
I also had no idea what a bell jar was at first but after looking it up, the title made so much more sense to me. I think the bell jar as a trapping mechanism for Esther's own thoughts and mental illness/depression was one of the most striking pieces of symbolism for me. Especially thinking of that scene where she was in the mental health facility and was kind of doubting all the other women/patients who were there as if they were not mentally ill, it really goes to show how isolated and alone you can feel in a state of depression, or as Esther describes, in a bell jar. I think it's also so important how she details that she doesn't know if or when the bell jar will descend on her again which just shows that this "healing" is never a guarantee or permanent phase but that this experience was now and will always be a part of Esther and her growth.
ReplyDeleteI think it is also very interesting that Esther is very self aware about the bell jar as well. She makes several references to it throughout the book. She articulates her feelings quite well with the metaphor and I think it really lets the reader see what she is feeling. I wonder if Plath came up with this idea while she was dealing with these issues herself.
ReplyDeleteI like how you mentioned that nothing from outside can get in as well as the other way around. Esther's condition and societal role is such she incapable of relating to anyone outside of herself, like she's stuck behind a sheet of glass. The same is true for the other way; no matter how much someone wants to help her, they can't, because Esther has sealed herself off completely, and not even by her own volition. But I think it's also worth mentioning that not only are people unable to get into the bell jar, nobody seems to care enough to try and get her out (except for Dr Nolan, of course). Esther is stuck under the jar, and nobody cares or knows enough to try and take it off of her.
ReplyDeleteI thought the usage of this metaphor was a great way to show the change in Esther's mindset about her situation as well. Early on in the book, she thought that all her stress and anxiety was her own fault. She believed she didn't deserve to be where she was, and that there was something wrong with her. But when she started categorizing her situation as being under "the bell jar," it shows that she acknowledges that she is being "trapped" by something that is out of her control, instead of the flaw being inherently of herself. Towards the end of the book she additionally notes that she doesn't know if the bell jar will descend on her again in the future, but I think the fact that she can now categorize such breakdowns as a "bell jar" and not her own shortcomings is very hopeful.
ReplyDeleteYour key points about how bell jars are meant to not only keep things in, but also keep other things out is extremely well thought out. Through the book we constantly saw Esther feel like she was different from everyone around her, like she didn't really fit into society seamlessly. She's unable to connect with others, even though we see her try on rare occasions. With this distant mindset, Esther is closing herself into the bell jar and simultaneously keeping everyone else out.
ReplyDeleteI also didn't know what a bell jar was and although it we talked about it in class, I was still unsure how it really connected with Esther's story, but you did a really good job explaining it! I agree with you that it's a perfect metaphor and I agree with how a bell jar isolated the "thing" (specimen, experiment, idk what it's called) from the outside world, which really shows how alone Esther feels.
ReplyDelete