I really like Sylvia Plath's writing style. Everythings kind of sarcastic and so detailed. In every scene the reader gets such an intricate description of Esther's surroundings that I feel like I'm there with her. Esther's underlying depression is slowly seeping through, but so far she seems pretty sane.
A few scenes stood out to me as interesting, the first being when Esther went out one night with Doreen. Doreen seems to feel like she is above everyone else and that she is too cool for the events that the other girls go to. I think Doreen notices that Esther doesn't fit in either so she kind of uses her to go out with and basically make fun of the other girls with. Esther enjoys Doreen's company, revealing Esther's own cynical side. Anywayyyy so when the two girls do go out and Esther sticks by Doreen's side as she gets frisky with Lenny she says "there is something demoralizing about watching two people get more crazy and more crazy about each other, especially when you are the only extra person in the room. It's like watching Paris from an express caboose heading in the opposite direction-every second the city gets smaller and smaller, only you feel it's really you getting smaller and smaller and lonelier and lonelier, rushing away from all those lights and that excitement at about a million miles an hour" 16. I think this quote is such a figurtive look on "third-wheeling" and I felt so sympathetic towards Esther while she was in Lenny's apartment.
That night, Esther "made a decision about Doreen...I decided I would watch her and listen to what she said, but deep down I would have nothing at all to do with her. Deep down, I would be loyal to Betsy and her innocent friends." (22) I think this shows how Esther doesn't know her true identity, and how she always puts on a happy face for everyone but on the inside she is really depressed. The fact that she doesn't know who she is is displayed when she has that meeting and suddenly realizes she has no idea with what she wants to do with her life.
Also, I thought the part about Chemistry was really interesting, especially because Esther is SOOO smart. Her whole scheme to avoid taking Chem was pretty amusing because Mr. Manzi and the Class Dean thought she just had such an appreciation for the subject that she would love to sit and listen even if it didn't count for a grade. But in reality "if my Class Dean had known how scared and depressed I was, and how I seriously contemplated desperate remedies such as getting a doctor's certificate that I was unfit to study chemistry...I'm sure they wouldn't have listened to me for a minute" (36), again showing how Esther can easily appear one way to everyone surrounding her but on the inside shes like I FOOLED YOUUUUUU HA-HA! Theeeeeen when Buddy puts on an act that Esther is sooo much more experienced than him, she gets piiiiiissed, but Esther does the same thing to almost everyone surrounding her. I'm on Esther's side all the way though, that Buddy seems like a real man whore.
x0x0x0x0x @ndrea
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I completely agree that Ester does not know her true identity, but I do not believe that she puts on a mask to conceal her feelings, but tries on different costumes to see which one fits. When she was with Doreen, she was inspired by her attitude of being above and just wanting to break loose, so when that opportunity arose, in the bar, Ester went for it. She decided to ditch the other girls and take a chance; she realized, after the fact, that that attitude wasn't really who she was. Another costume she tried was that of Betsy. Betsy always did the right thing and was ecstatic to be in NY. When Ester was around Betsy, she was proper, polite, and attempted to have that same enthusiasm. Ester realized that this too, was not a perfect fit. Just like Esperanza in The House on Mango Street had to discover who she was while being influenced by others, Ester must face the same challenge.
i LOVE your connections. I feel so bad for esther and it seems like you do too. I found the chemistry thing so interesting because she creates such a smart plan to get out of the class the way she persuades the teacher and practically the board of ed to believe that she doesn't really need to take the class. I WISHH I COULD DOOOO THATTTTT UGHHHHH LOL. plus i totally agreee with plath's writing style; it's totally sarcastic and i legit LOVEEEE it. she seems pretty cool so far; but i'm very interested to see if she goes nuts like everyone sayyss?? the excerpt that you quoted from the scene when doreen and lenny are MESSSIN' ROUNDDD, really reflected Esther's true self and what she feels inside. I'm not sure if she's putting on a "mask" though...i think she just really doesn't know how to deal with her depression and therefore just acts weird sometimes...but i really don't think that she's putting on a show for the LADAYSSS in the city. Anyway; nice post.
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