The Bell Jar Chapters 13 - 16
Esther, alongside her friend Jody, Jody’s boyfriend Mark, and a peer named Cal, visit the beach. They discuss a play where a mother contemplates murdering her insane son. Esther queries Cal about his preferred suicide method, and his response of shooting disappoints her; she perceives it as a typically masculine method and doubts her ability to procure a gun or know where to shoot. She opts to drown herself in the ocean. Despite Cal’s retreat, she swims on, intending to exhaust herself and succumb to the water. As she swims, the mantra “I am I am I am” reverberates in her mind.
She recalls a morning when she attempted to hang herself. Unable to find a suitable place for the rope, she tried to strangle herself, but her weakening grip loosened the rope each time she felt faint. She considered seeking medical help again, but the thought of burdening her family with private hospital costs and ending up in a state hospital deterred her.
Esther decides to drown where she is, believing her body would regain strength if she rested on the rock. Despite her efforts to submerge, her body resurfaces each time.
Her mother suggests that Esther alleviate her depression by considering others, prompting Esther to volunteer at a local hospital. On her first day, she must deliver flowers to new mothers. Her rearrangement of the bouquets displeases the women, leading to complaints and Esther’s departure from the hospital. She contemplates converting to Catholicism, but her mother dismisses the idea. Esther visits her father’s grave for the first time, and upon finding his stone, she weeps, realizing she has never mourned his death. Her mother had never cried either, instead expressing relief that he’d prefer death over a life of disability.
Esther settles on her suicide method. After her mother departs for work, she leaves a note stating she’s gone for a long walk. She retrieves her sleeping pills from her mother’s lockbox, conceals herself in a cellar crawl space, ingests about fifty pills, and falls asleep.
Esther awakens semi-consciously in darkness. She hears voices and feels the wind, and light gradually pierces the darkness. She calls for her mother. Unaware she’s in a hospital, she expresses her inability to see, and a jovial voice suggests she could marry a blind man. A doctor assures her that her eyesight is intact and that her bandaged head is the reason she can’t see. Her mother and brother visit, but she wishes her mother would leave and tells her brother she feels as she did before her suicide attempt. She denies calling for her mother. George Bakewell, a young doctor and old acquaintance, visits Esther, but she dismisses him, believing he’s merely curious to see a suicidal girl. She requests a mirror, and upon seeing her bruised face and shaved head, she drops the mirror. The shattered mirror angers the nurses, and Esther is transferred to a city hospital.
In the updated hospital, Esther shares a room with a woman she presumes is Mrs. Tomolillo. When Esther confides in Mrs. Tomolillo about her suicide attempt, Mrs. Tomolillo requests the doctors to close the separating curtain. Esther’s mother visits, chastising Esther for her non-cooperation with the doctors. Esther suspects Mrs. Tomolillo of mimicking her mother and is convinced that the doctors use pseudonyms and document her words. She pleads with her mother to discharge her from the hospital, and her mother consents to try. One day at mealtime, a woman named Mrs. Mole scatters green beans everywhere. The new attendant rudely responds to Esther when she asks him to delay clearing the plates. She becomes certain that he served two types of beans to test their patience. When the nurse is distracted, Esther kicks him in the calf. On another day, a nurse places her thermometer tray on Esther’s bed, and Esther knocks it to the floor. The nurses relocate her to Mrs. Mole’s previous room, and she secretly takes a mercury ball.
Philomena Guinea, the benefactor of Esther’s college scholarship, finances Esther’s admission to a private mental hospital. Guinea herself was once an asylum patient. She writes, inquiring if a boy triggered Esther’s suicide attempt, and Esther’s mother responds that Esther fears she will never write again. In response, Guinea flies to Boston and drives Esther to a luxurious hospital resembling a country club. Esther’s mother advises her to be thankful, as the family has nearly exhausted its funds on hospital bills. Esther acknowledges she should feel grateful, but feels nothing. Her illness, symbolized by the bell jar, entraps her, and everything appears bitter. Esther plans to jump from the car and leap from the bridge when they cross the Charles River, but her mother and brother sit on either side of her, gripping the door handles, preventing her from moving. She concedes to herself that even without her family’s presence, she likely would have refrained from jumping.
In the hospital, Esther is introduced to her new psychiatrist, Dr. Nolan. Unaware that female psychiatrists existed, Esther is pleasantly surprised. She enjoys the freedom to roam the hospital, where she meets a congenial girl named Valerie. During her initial consultation with Dr. Nolan, Esther expresses her disdain for her previous electroshock therapy. Dr. Nolan assures her that the treatment was improperly administered and promises a different experience if it’s repeated. An elderly patient, Miss Norris, becomes Esther’s new neighbor. Miss Norris remains silent, and Esther observes her closely, finding comfort in her silent company during meals.
Esther receives insulin injections thrice daily from the nurse. Valerie informs her that these injections might trigger a reaction someday. So far, Esther has remained reaction-free, only gaining weight. Valerie reveals her lobotomy scars to Esther, explaining her transformation from a perpetually angry person to her current tranquil state. She expresses no desire to leave the hospital. Esther is relocated to a brighter room, while Miss Norris is moved to Wymark, a ward considered a step down in the recovery process. The nurse informs Esther of a newly admitted patient who knows her. Curious, Esther discovers it’s Joan Gilling, a college acquaintance.
Joan reveals that Esther’s story inspired her admission to the asylum. When Esther inquires further, Joan recounts her ordeal of a dreadful job that resulted in painful bunions, leading her to wear rubber boots to work, a habit Esther finds bizarre. Joan admits to quitting her job, ignoring phone calls, and contemplating suicide. Her doctor referred her to a psychiatrist, who made her wait and then subjected her to an observed appointment with his students. Forced to disclose her symptoms in front of nine people, Joan felt humiliated. Upon being recommended group therapy, Joan left in disgust and stumbled upon an article about Esther’s disappearance.
Joan presents Esther with newspaper clippings. The first reports Esther’s disappearance. The second mentions the missing sleeping pills and includes photos of search parties combing the woods. The final article describes how Esther’s mother discovered her while doing laundry, prompted by her moaning. Joan confesses that Esther’s ordeal inspired her to move to New York and attempt suicide. She stayed with her former college roommate and tried to slit her wrists by thrusting her hands through her roommate’s window.
One evening, Esther finds herself abruptly awakened, her hands pounding on her bedpost. She has experienced a reaction to her insulin therapy and feels improved. Much to her satisfaction, Dr. Nolan informs her she will no longer receive visitors. Esther harbors a distaste for the visits from former teachers and employers, who either become anxious or dismiss her depression as fictitious. She particularly resents her mother’s visits, as her mother persistently seeks to understand her own mistakes. On Esther’s birthday, her mother presents her with a bouquet of a dozen long-stemmed roses, which Esther discards in the garbage. She confesses to Dr. Nolan her hatred for her mother, a revelation that gratifies the doctor.
Analysis
After several hesitant suicide attempts, Esther finally makes a serious effort. Her focus is on the method, not the motive, making us forget the gravity of her actions. Plath suggests that Esther’s suicide attempt stems from mental illness, not external factors. Despite life’s darkness and family issues, Esther’s problems don’t seem insurmountable. Her mental illness, mysterious and uncontrollable, is the real fear. Post-attempt, her despair remains, and her paranoia increases. The care she receives at the upscale asylum, particularly from Dr. Nolan, starkly contrasts her previous treatment, offering her understanding and trust.
Esther’s self-centeredness is evident, yet she’s aware of her flaws. She contemplates suicide, despite knowing it would devastate her benefactor, Guinea, and her mother. Her mother’s distress, evidenced by newspaper clippings, doesn’t affect her. Esther’s actions even inspire Joan’s suicide attempt.
However, Esther shows signs of recovery. She stops obsessing over suicide and acknowledges her need for gratitude. Her cruelty towards her mother helps her confront her feelings. She displays healthy anger and empathizes with Joan, a change from her pre-suicidal state. Esther introduces the bell jar metaphor in Chapter 15. She feels trapped under it, breathing her sour air, suggesting her lack of control over her illness. The bell jar symbolizes her isolation and suffocation.
