Esther s Depression Of The Novel Depression - 1687 Words

Esther’s depression begins from the start of the novel. She even wonders why she feels sad, as she â€Å"was supposed to be the envy of thousands of other college girls just like me all over America† (Plath 2). Esther understands that her situation is better than that of most girls and is incapable of even understanding why she is upset with her life. After a night out, she simply states, â€Å"The silence depressed me. It wasn’t the silence of silence. It was my own silence† (Plath 15). Esther feels that she is not like others at her age or even like others in New York. She prefers to be alone, and she purposely leaves her friends during her night out to get away from all of the commotion. She later thinks about all of the dreams she has and†¦show more content†¦Esther feels limited by society everywhere she goes. Even before she enters mental institutions, she feels trapped by societal norms. 3. Esther bluntly tells Doctor Nolan that she hates her mother. What is Mrs. Greenwood s role in Esther s life and in the novel? Is Esther just in her presentation of and attitude toward her mother? Mrs. Greenwood follows tradition with the way she expects her daughter to handle herself. She expects Esther to not have sex and maintain her virginity for her husband, a common social expectation of the time. She also pushes Esther to learn shorthand so that she can be a secretary, a common job for a woman at the time. At the same time, she worries about her daughter and cares for her wellbeing. Esther claims that â€Å"She never scolded me, but kept begging me, with a sorrowful face, to tell her what she had done wrong† (Plath 166). From this, it can be deduced that Mrs. Greenwood greatly cares about her daughter. Ester is not just in her presentation of her mother because her mother care for her and even paid most of her medical bills. Her mother, however, does not see her illne ss as a real thing. She believes Esther is creating it herself. It was Mrs. Greenwood who first put Esther in the mental hospital. In fact, once Esther is released from therapy, her mother tells her, â€Å"We’ll take up where we left off, Esther† (Plath 193). Her statementShow MoreRelatedThe Cause Of Sylvia Plath s Depression1447 Words   |  6 PagesThe Causes of Sylvia Plath’s Depression When reading any works by Sylvia Plath, it is easy to focus on the depression of her writing. However, it is important to understand why she wrote most her works about depression. Plath based her works on her own life experiences. Sylvia Plath’s most commonly known book, The Bell Jar, is thought to be an autobiography. Aurelia Plath, Sylvia’s mother, published the book Letters Home, a collection of all the letters Sylvia wrote to her mother. The letters sheRead MoreThe Bell Jar By Sylvia Plath942 Words   |  4 PagesEsther’s depression is a key factor in the development of her relationship with many characters in the novel, The Bell Jar. 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