While on a night pass, Esther loses her virginity, which she sees as a millstone. In addition, Esther undergoes electric-shock treatment, which makes her feel as if she has been freed from a bell jar. She ultimately overdoses on sleeping pills but survives.Įsther is admitted to a mental institute, where she is treated by a progressive psychiatrist who, among other things, eases her concerns about premarital sex and encourages her to obtain a diaphragm. She struggles to write a novel and becomes increasingly despondent, making several half-hearted suicide attempts. After being rejected for a writing class, Esther must spend the rest of her summer at home with her mother Esther’s father died when she was young. She believes he is a hypocrite, having acted as if she was more sexually experienced. During this time, Esther thinks about her boyfriend, Buddy Willard, and her anger when he admitted that he was not a virgin, claiming to have been seduced. She meets two other interns who manifest contrasting views of femininity as well as Esther’s own internal conflicts: the rebellious and sexual Doreen and the wholesome and virginal Betsy.
She is selected for a month-long summer internship as a guest editor of Ladies’ Day magazine, but her time in New York City is unfulfilling as she struggles with issues of identity and societal norms. The Bell Jar details the life of Esther Greenwood, a college student who dreams of becoming a poet.
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