Esther Greenwoods Search for Identity in Sylvia Plath’s...

One’s identity is the most important lesson to be learned. It is vital part of life knowing who you are in order to live a fulfilled life. Without knowing your identity, and the way you perceive life, it is difficult for others to understand you, along with a struggle to live a happy life. In Sylvia Plath’s â€Å"The Bell Jar,† Esther Greenwood struggles to find her own identity, and in the process, she develops a mental illness which helps her discover the person she is on the inside. In her search for identity, Esther often compares herself to others. One sign of depression is the feeling the need to compare yourself to others. Throughout the story, Esther questions other’s morals and characteristics and tries to apply them to herself. One†¦show more content†¦At the beginning of the novel, Esther describes her life as a tornado. â€Å"I felt very still and very empty, the way the eye of a tornado must feel, moving dully along in the middle of he surrounding hullabaloo.†(3) Esther feels as if the world is going crazy and spinning around her, yet she is standing still in the eye of the storm, not knowing which direction to move in. When Buddy Willard comes to visit in chapter five, they talk about a poem, however, Esther is day dreaming about an imaginary conversation she wishes the would have. Throughout the novel, Esther struggled with what she felt how a woman in her society should act. At times, she feels as if there is no point to college because most women only become secretaries anyway. She feels as if she should be learning short hand and other techniques she should be learning for the secretary roll, however she does not want to. Esther wants to be a writer, however, during the time of the novel, society gave women the role as housewife. Esther felt pressure to settle down and start a family. No matter what accomplishments Esther achieves in her life, it doesn’t matter too much because they will not d o her much in her later life. Everyone expects Esther to marry buddy and start a family. Once she becomes a mother, it would be assumed that she would give up her passion for writing. This discourages Esther because she is not sure that is what she wants with her life. The role models in the novel have aShow MoreRelatedThe Characterisation of the Heroines in The Bell Jar and Quicksand2372 Words   |  10 Pagescharacterisation of the heroines in The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath and Quicksand by Nella Larsen? Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know ============================== How does the authors treatment of relationships effect the characterisation of the heroines in The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath and Quicksand by Nella Larsen? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This essay will compare the ways in which the novels The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath and Quicksand by Nella