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What is TB?
“TB” is a colloquial term for tuberculosis. Buddy contracts TB over the course of the novel and has to live in a sanatorium until he gets better.
What does the title of the book mean?
The Bell Jar refers to Esther’s repeated metaphor for depression and mental illness. She claims that being depressed feels like being trapped under a bell jar—you may be able to look at the world around you, but there is an invisible, overpowering force that is keeping you imprisoned.
What is the significance of mirrors and reflections in The Bell Jar?
Mirrors and reflections symbolize Esther’s loss of her sense of self. Esther is unable to recognize her own reflection several times throughout the novel, demonstrating that Esther’s mental illness has caused her to lose control of her own identity.
Is The Bell Jar a true story?
Yes and no. The Bell Jar is a semi-autobiographical novel, meaning it is a text that partly aligns with the writer's own life but also contains fictional elements. Some events in The Bell Jar are based on Plath’s own experiences and others appear to have been fabricated.
What “fitting” does Esther get towards the end of the novel?
Esther tells Dr. Nolan that she longs for the kind of freedom that men have, but she feels that the threat of pregnancy hangs over her. Dr. Nolan then sends Esther to be “fitted” for a diaphragm—a method of birth control—to alleviate this fear.
