Adults Of The Bell Jar

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(5). But, Philomena has money so nothing else matters. Mrs. Willard is portrayed as the ultimate wife and mother. We are given the impression that Mrs. Willard embodies sensibility. She is what every little girl is supposed to grow up to be. But Esther sees differently. Mrs. Willard represents the inevitable outcome of marriage and motherhood – to flatten out under the husband’s foot like a kitchen mat (80).
The way the women are described brings to light the kind of relationship she had with them. For example, Esther doesn’t even find it necessary to reveal much of anything about the person, Philomena Guinea. Whenever she is mentioned it is about her black Cadillac or her exotic hat or her finger bowls.
Esther doesn’t embrace her the way she tries to embrace Esther. The only time Esther shows any kind of appreciation for Philomena is when she uses her money to get “fitted”. It is then that Esther feels that Philomena buys her her freedom when actually she buys Esther’s ...

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This is a source of intense struggle for Esther. Unlike Philomena Guinea, the mother is described often and intimately. Their conversations are recounted many times and Esther frequently describes her mother’s looks and actions. She does this more so than any of other older role model characters. These descriptions, though, are not generally favorable. Through Esther’s eyes we see that her mother has no tact and no consideration for her daughter’s feelings. Esther is never good enough for her: “My mother kept telling me nobody wanted a plain English major” (72). Like the other women the mother is constantly trying to mold Esther into her own image. She symbolizes everything that ...

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