Analytical essay by anonymous
Throughout Sylvia Plath’s depiction of depression in her novel, The Bell Jar, even the minutest and diminutive detail plays a significant role in the deterioration of Esther’s mental health. The most apparent manifestation of Esther’s detachment from reality is her progressing inability to fully grasp what society defines as acceptable social behavior and the reasoning behind societal norms. To combat this, Esther derives her own version of the truth from her interpretations of social interaction as well as descriptions of her increasingly oppressive surroundings. Although Esther’s mental struggle with embodying societal norms can be more obviously glimpsed through her relationships with characters such as Buddy and Joan, the tensions between true reality and that which Esther creates are most effectively and indistinctly depicted through Plath’s use of color imagery. Within the novel, images of dull or even white color are employed to signify the abnormality or psychological void within a specific interaction of thought, while brightly colored images serve both to contrast with Esther’s former depression as well as to highlight her possibly artificial progression toward what society deems to be the mental ideal. The color white represents the hypocrisy of men and how their white exterior masks their inner darkness and vileness. These men almost always appear in white clothing. Buddy Willard is the first man who shocks Esther with his impurity, and he is described in a “white turtleneck sweater” (53) and later is dressed in a “white nylon shirt” (86). After going on a few dates, Esther asks him if he is a virgin, expecting him to answer “No, I have been saving myself for when I get married to somebody pure and a virgin like you” (65). Instead, he answers that he has had sex several times. Esther’s conception of young men as sexually pure disintegrates as she faces the harsh reality that men are not expected to be virgins before marriage as women are. Esther had been deceived by Buddy and even imagined a prospective marriage with him, but she inevitably realizes that his white clothing conveys a false message of purity for a man who is not sexually innocent. Similarly, Marco does not live up to the “dazzling” whiteness of his “suit” when he is violent and nasty towards Esther (103). Marco’s white clothing foreshadows the abnormality of the sexual interaction that follows. Despite the fact that Esther realizes that Marco is a misogynist and is aware of his domineering nature, she contemplates losing her virginity to him in an effort to reverse her depression, stating “It’s happening...It’s happening. If I just lie here and do nothing it will happen” (109). At this point in the interaction, and in an effort to obtain normality, Esther reacts in the manner that is expected of her solely for the reason that she believes this reaction is normal. Although Plath’s words display a passive attitude toward the attempted rape, Esther rather suddenly reacts as she details that “...[she] fisted her fingers together and smashed them at his nose,” and that, “Marco pulled out a white handkerchief and dabbed his nose. Blackness, like ink, spread over the pale cloth” (109). Upon her punching Marco in the nose, the color images are described as a dark, colorless stain spreading across a white cloth, alluding that Marco’s “whiteness” is a facade and is instead penetrated by negativity, his clothing is a sheet to hide the darkness and his evil nature within. The whiteness of Marco’s clothing contrasts with the dark, seething hatred that is shown through his pure-looking suit. Esther’s classification of the color white as a stain on the purity of society is visible through her dissolved hope in men, specifically Buddy Willard and Marco.
Esther’s frequent struggles with negotiating between her desire for normalcy and the limitations of her depression are illustrated through the color imagery of darkness that haunts her and the occasional glimpse of hopeful light. The tension between Esther’s personal perspective of her surroundings and how they truly exist is also conveyed through color imagery during her suicide attempt. Upon her rescue, Esther states that “[she] felt the darkness, but nothing else, and [her] head rose, feeling it, like the head of a worm...[t]he silence surged back, smoothing itself as black water smooths to its old surface calm over a dropped stone” (170). During this incident of the most desperate manifestation of Esther’s depression, the image of impenetrable blackness suggests that, despite her half-hearted attempt to adhere to the expectations of young adulthood, she has become hopeless and has fully entered an ideal world of her own, one that is free of consciousness. Soon after, however, the promise of normality attempts to penetrate Esther’s mentally suspended existence as she expresses that “[a] chisel cracked down on [her] eye, and a slit of light opened, like a mouth or a wound, till the darkness clamped it shut again” but then another beam “leapt into [her] head, and through the thick, warm, furry dark, a voice cried” (171). The dichotomy of color, simply expressed as darkness and light, suggests the possibility of Esther emerging from her depression, and ultimately reality is still able to infiltrate her damaged mental state. Just as she sees glimpses of a positive reality, towards the end of the novel, prior to her interview with doctors in Belsize, Esther acknowledges the cracks of darkness still haunt her. As she waits outside the boardroom door, she scrutinizes her clothing for any signs of mental weakness by stating that “[her] stocking seams were straight, [her] black shoes cracked but polished, and [her] red wool suit flamboyant as [her] plans. Something old, something new...” (244). The red wool suit depicted can represent a brightness that has never before been achieved during Esther’s mental struggle and her ability to acquire “something new” in her personality that allows for social success. Nonetheless, simultaneously, her cracked black shoes seem to negate her possibility of triumph over her former depression. The presence of these cracked but shined shoes suggests that, despite the fact that Esther adopts a colorful exterior, there are still aspects that have yet to recover and may return to their former, unpolished state at the slightest provocation. Consequently, the “something old, something new” presents a final critique of the negotiation between the mental and actual world in that, no matter the brightness of possibility, the potential for regression constantly threatens under a polished veneer. Although the depiction of bright colors can signify a happier, more positive future, it is also a painful reminder of the reality of which Esther is not a member as the chains of depression tighten around her. During electro-shock therapy, Esther begins the scene in silence and darkness that is then interrupted by color flashes meant to represent an attempt to fully connect to normal society. As she receives treatment, Esther shuts her eyes and there is “a brief silence like indrawn breath.” She then describes that the machine “...shrilled, through an air crackling with blue light, and with each flash a great jolt drubbed [her] till [she] thought [her] bones would break and the sap fly out of [her] like a split plant” (143). The flashes of colorful light embody the difficulty and discomfort associated with overcoming mental struggles and the required intensity to successfully negotiate between Esther’s consciousness and that which others are attempting to instill in her. Because the color imagery during her suicide attempt and her treatment are not consistent, it can be inferred that the transition to normality manifests itself in different, ineffective ways and Esther’s depression is still able to dominate her impression of her surroundings. As the novel continues and Esher becomes hospitalized, she still notices colorful painful reminders of the reality. While she embodies the traits of the hospital, lying white and sickly in the sterile bed, “the roses “[her] mother...brought [her]” flaunt their bright red hues and livelihood (202). The sardonic nature of the flowers and their exuberance exacerbate the contrast between the well and the sick, further dividing Esther from the rest of society. The flowers possess a mocking demeanor, patronizing Esther with their vitality. The red roses not only represent life, but the unattainable life of those stuck inside the bell jar, and serve only as a reminder of the life outside the glass. Because they merely remind her of what she cannot have, their sheer presence is offensive. In subtly using color imagery throughout several pivotal scenes in the novel, Plath is able to depict the true nature of mental illness more effectively. Although there are different levels of both color and darkness incorporated in the novel, the dominance of either one directly corresponds to Esther’s progress in approaching mental normality. Although it is easier to perceive Etsher’s level of depression from the major events and relationships in the novel, a less obvious private aspect of her depression is displayed through contrasting dark and light color imagery. This tactic alludes that, in addition to the tangible aspects of depression, there are also less apparent, but equally relevant emotions that can be discerned only with more careful scrutiny. Thus, the nature of mental illness is less defined by large obvious indicators of depression and more so by the intricacies that often escape human attention.
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