The society of those who have a problem with society
Throughout the book Esther seems to portray people as representations of stereotypes within society such as Betsy the corn Girl, who follows the rules and wants to get married or Doreen who does not follow the rules and parties on the underside of New York. In the hospital Esther seems to meet people who are representative of categories of people who have had problems with society. These include, Mrs. Norris, who completely shuts herself off from society, Valarie who tries to hide from society and Joan who tries to assimilate back into society.
When Esther First meet Mrs. Norris, she quickly mentions Mrs. Norris's lack of response to Esther or anyone around her. After introducing herself, Esther explains that in response “The women didn’t stir, just stared up at the ceiling"(Plath, 213). Furthermore, Esther recounts Mrs. Norris’s lack of response to the cook who mentioned that Mrs. Norris was an hour early for dinner; “Mrs. Norris didn’t answer, she just stared ahead of her in a polite way” ( 214). These provide instances where Mrs. Norris did not respond to people, and I believe that she is indicative of those who reject society, because interacting with society means interacting with people. Furthermore, if you do not listen to people and ignore the inclination to give the normal response, then you don’t have to be restricted by all the subtle rules of society. For example, if she ignores the Cooks message that dinner isn’t ready for another hour, she doesn’t have to feel obligated to leave and come back, or by ignoring Esther's introduction, she does not have to introduce herself too. However, Esther mentions that Mrs. Norris had an upstanding appearance with a “...a purple dress that fastened at the neck with a cameo brooch "(212) and “...she had rusty hair knotted in a schoolmarmish bun”(212). Thus, having dressed like one who fits in with society, perhaps she tried to fit in with society, and ultimately could not. Furthermore, perhaps this is a reflection of those who reject society having really tried to fit into society and somehow broke in the process. In any case, she mentions that Mrs Norris is sent to Wymark (216). I believe this was the ultimate fate of those who rejected society at that time; to be taken away from the more normal or functioning society to where more experimental recovery methods may be tried.
Valarie is both representative of one who hides from society and one who has gone through a successful experimental recovery process. She mentions “I’ve had a lobotomy” (215) and “...before I was always angry. I was in Wymark before, and now I’m in Caplann”(215). Her own journey of always getting angry and then being put away to Wymark may indicate her way of rejecting society was fighting back or being angry. In addition, having had a similar experience as Mrs.Norris, her current state may be indicative of Mrs. Norris's path. Furthermore, in response to Esther’s question “ What will you do when you get out of here?” (215) she says "‘ Oh, I’m not moving… I like it here’"(215). I believe her response of unwillingness to move also places her a representative of those who would rather not reenter society. She mentions the perks of staying at Caplan “I can go to town now, or shopping or to a movie, along with a nurse” ( 215). Thus, perhaps indicating that to those with the means, to be able to stay at a place where one can get entertainment and be kept away from the pressures of finding a job, having a job, or having to marry, it is close enough to paradise. Also, with less societal pressures, there may be less of a chance of her getting angry again and having to go to Wymark. Thus, they may ultimately stay trying to hide from society for the rest of their days.
Finally, I believe that Joan represents those who have a problem with society, but still tries to assimilate, the path that Esther ultimately tried to take. She comes to Wymark having gone to the same college as Esther and having been with the same guy as Esther. She too seems to have felt the same societal pressures as Esther, which as the story emphasizes, left Esther alarmingly depressed. Esther even remarks on her similarity to Joan by saying “Her thoughts were not my thoughts, nor her feelings my feelings, but we were close enough that her thoughts and feelings were a wry black image of my own"(244). However, Joan seems to want to be close with people and fit in with people, and thus I believe that she is representative of those who want to assimilate. When she first gets to Wymark she immediately contacts Esther. Later Esther describes Joans assimilation with the Belsize women “ She seemed perfectly at home among these women, and treated me cooly with a slight sneer… "( 230). And her overall fast progress within the mental institution, which indicates her quick assimilation to the progressively more regular societal like conditions. Thus, perhaps like others, she still clung to the societal pressure to fit in and to want to fit in. Esther indicated her own jealousy of Joan by saying “ I gathered all my news of Joan into a little bitter heap ”( 229). She therefore indicates that Joan's progress is something that is looked at as good thing to work up to. Thus, Joan may be more focused on obtaining that status of being cured rather than being permanently and fully cured. I believe that the unfortunate result of this is shown with her suicide (263). Having, gone through the steps at the hospital, she was only trained to look and act okay. Perhaps the break from society made her feel okay. However, the hospital was not able to fix the underlying problems of society, or perhaps her outlook on it and like others she turned to what she may have felt was the only other escape, suicide.
This is an interesting way to look at how Esther portrays the "society" within the hospital, and I especially like how you frame Joan's character in this context. As I mentioned in class, her presence in the novel is confusing to me in some ways, and she often seems like more of a literary device (a "foil" or a "double" for Esther) than a fully fledged character. But in this framing she makes sense as the embodiment of Esther's own "category" within the hospital community, someone whose recovery and reemergence into society initially mirrors Esther's, but with a very different ending. Somewhere in here you'd also want to account for how "her" doctor, Dr. Quinn (also a woman whom she clicks with much as Esther clicks with Nolan), plays a role in this failed reemergence. Remember that she is planning to be a psychologist like Quinn, much as Esther views Nolan as a role model (professional, non-family-oriented).
ReplyDeleteI really like this analysis of the inhabitants of the hospital. I find it very interesting that Esther views those who integrate with traditional society as mere stereotypes. This could be connected to the way Esther tends to describe them in very inhuman ways, using comparisons to inanimate objects. I also think your take on Joan as a foil to Esther (wanting to fit in as a cure, rather than wanting to be able to exist outside the system) a very useful angle of approaching analyzing their relationship.
ReplyDeleteI feel that Esther's description of people inside the hospital are less distorted than her descriptions of people outside the hospital, and I think can be attributed to the fact that because they are inside the bell jar with her.
ReplyDeleteI think this is an interesting angle to look at it from. It does seem like her versions of people who also resonate and think like her are more 3D and humane. I wonder if its because she can empathize with them and she doesn't feel like they are after her like everyone else is, because they too are suffering.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! This reminds me of how Holden Caulfield likes to generalize and group people into character archetypes to identify them. But Esther tends to do this with more weight and depth compared to Holden's "I've met people like them before" type.
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