Expectations vs Reality
Throughout The Bell Jar , I noticed that Esther always thought she knew what to expect in the real world based on how society dictates she should experience it, yet Esther always ended up experiencing it very differently. At the time this book was written, women were expected to be quiet, cheerful, and put together constantly which is a sharp contrast from the detachment, dreariness, and over-all misery Esther feels on a daily basis. Her nonchalant accounts of multiple suicide attempts is not a topic we, as readers, expect to read about in such an informal tone. It sounds like she's simply telling us what she was thinking about eating for lunch when, in reality, the topic is dark and a typically taboo topic. More examples come from her time in New York where Esther feels like she should be happy in such a vibrant environment, yet she once again feels out of place and finds it depressing. In addition, her struggle between trying to choose whether to pursue writing (as her hea...