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The Bell Jar

 The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath published in 1963 follows the story of Esther Greenwood and her journey through dealing with mental health at a time where it wasn't widely accepted. I think the most notable relationship she describes in the book is with Dr Nolan. Right away we can tell that Esther trusts and opens up to her. She is different than Dr Gordan because not only is she more open and understanding, but she is someone Esther can connect with as a woman at the time. As we continue to read, it seems as though Dr Nolan truly wants Esther to get better and actually cares about her. At one point Esther even compares her to her mother. 

One of the most notable things about Dr Nolan is her approach to electric shock therapy. She tells Esther that they didn't do it right and that if she had to do it, it would be done correctly. This immediately puts her at ease. Along with the idea that she would get a warning about it beforehand. However as we see later on, the warning comes a bit too late, even so Dr Nolan is able to calm her down and she still has trust. After the shock therapy according to Esther it does seem to work as Dr Nolan promised and we see the title of the book resurface. She describes it as the Bell Jar being lifted so she could finally breathe again. 

Comments

  1. NateMarch 10, 2023 at 3:23 PM

    I think what made Dr. Nolans treatment successful was that level of trust she was able to build with Esther. Like you said, they were able to connect much better than Dr. Gordon. Even though we didn't know any details how Esthers first shock therapy was preformed vs the second, I think the trust Esther had with Dr. Nolan helped significantly with it being successful.

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  2. TaehanMarch 11, 2023 at 12:48 PM

    Dr Nolan's unprecedented level trust that she generate with Esther really sets her apart from not only the other doctors in the book but from other characters. I think the shock therapy example that you chose is a great example of that! I also think of the birth control treatments that she prescribed as another example. I think Dr Nolan's ability to help Esther on a personal level and not think of her as another sick patient is what makes Esther trust her so much.

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  3. AnnieMarch 16, 2023 at 9:27 AM

    I agree, I think that Dr. Nolan does a good job with establishing a solid level of trust with Esther. Yous also mentioned some good points of how this was established, such as Dr. Nolan being some to whom Esther can talk about her terrible shock treatment and protect her from it. This was probably especially reassuring to Esther because all the other professionals thought that the terrible shock treatment was an effective treatment, and her mother seemed to not grasp the reality of Esthers illness. Thus, Esther was given someone to whom should confide in and reassure her that she was not crazy for hating that terrible experience. Great post!!

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