The Narrator of the Bell Jar

The Narrator of the Bell Jar

  • Submitted By: stephanson
  • Date Submitted: 08/30/2010 8:40 PM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 723
  • Page: 3
  • Views: 366

Esther, the narrator of The Bell Jar, was considered a menace to society because she had difficulty conforming to the image that had been designed for her. She was a wonderful person trapped inside the mold of orthodoxy. After her escape from her social expectations she found herself in a downward spiral, simply because she unintentionally eluded "normality."

Normal, according to Webster's Dictionary, is conforming with an accepted standard, model, or pattern. Unfortunately that standard is determined by a close-minded, unyielding force called society. "Society is one vast conspiracy for carving one into the kind of statue it likes and then placing one in the most convenient niche it has." Society tells us what to do and who to be. Esther, the narrator of The Bell Jar, was considered a menace to society because she had difficulty conforming to the image that had been designed for her. She was a wonderful person trapped inside the mold of orthodoxy. After her escape from her social expectations she found herself in a downward spiral, simply because she unintentionally eluded "normality."

People are constantly teaching each other about their proper roles in society. In The Bell Jar, Esther receives instructions from many sources. The media, her family, and friends force upon her expectations of beauty, submission, and virginity, among other things. For example, when Esther states that she will never marry, her friend Buddy Willard responded matter-of-factly and said, "you're crazy." When referring to socially accepted women she became familiar with Esther said, "they all wanted to adopt me...and have me resemble them." Despite Esther's reluctance to yield to sometimes unrealistic and unfair expectations, she feels she must present to society what it wants to see.


These days, the media is relentless in reaching its goal of uniformity and perfection. Esther also faces this issue, especially when reading magazines. Along with eleven other women, Esther...

Similar Essays