• Plath uses strong, connotative diction to convey a fairly consistent tone, throughout the novel, while allowing it to alter sometimes, to compensate for the events the main character is enduring at the time. Near the middle of the novel, Esther decides to visit her father’s gravesite for the first time; she had not known him very well before he passed away and the idea of his death had always seemed slightly foreign to her. While looking in the graveyard, Esther notices the “low, shaggy clouds scudded over… the horizon where the sea lay, behind the marshes and the beach shanty settlements” (166). By using such descriptive imagery, the author sets a dark and gloomy mood to compliment the already ominous setting. Esther exemplifies a disappointed, yet cynical tone in this passage through her pessimistic descriptions and acute sense of attention to detail. The graveyard, in her opinion, was not very well maintained and the headstones and monuments were cheap and deteriorating. The dreary conditions of the day, ironically parallel those of Esther’s state of mind and emotions.
• While at the movie premiere of Ladies’ Day, towards the beginning of the novel, Esther attempts to explain the premise of the movie. She describes how “It was a football romance and [how] it was in Technicolor” (42). In addition, she continues by revealing that she hates Technicolor and how “Everybody in Technicolor [movies seem] to feel obligated to wear a lurid costume in each new scene and to stand around like a clotheshorse with a lot of very green trees or very yellow wheat or very blue ocean rolling away for miles and miles in every direction” (43). By utilizing the phrases “obligated to wear a lurid costume” and “stand around like a clotheshorse,” the author blatantly criticizes Technicolor movies and the actors in them. As a result, an impatient and sarcastic tone is established through Plath’s negative wording and exaggerated statements. Esther’s sarcastic and sometimes penetrating comments, although at times hurtful and rude, help in creating her overall character traits and personality and are necessary in contributing to her eventual downfall.
It was sometimes very alarming how critical Esther was of people and her surroundings, but it was appropriate behavior for someone in her emotional state. Every small detail she points out amplifies the cynical tone that is used throughout the novel. I think you did a great job of identifying the most dominant tone, and appreciate the fact that you recognized such specific examples of this tone being created.
ReplyDeleteYou do a brilliant job of analyzing Plath's tone throughout the novel; it is an essential aspect to consider when attempting to understand this book. I found it interesting that you addressed the way her diction creates imagery, and therefore ultimately develops tone and mood as well. There is truth in that Esther's comments radiate a "sarcastic and penetrating" tone. Perhaps this tone is an indirect reflection of the author's view of the world or life? I certainly got the impression that Esther is a hypothetical portrayal of Sylvia Plath, and that in writing "The Bell Jar" she is venting her inside emotions to the reader.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the fact that you identified that Plath's choice of words in describing the setting mirrors Esther's thoughts and feelings. While reading, I found this to be an effective writing style that helped foreshadow Esther's mental deterioration. Esther's exceptionally judgmental attitude toward her peers is somewhat distressing at times; in particular, her descriptions of Buddy Willard are plagued with her critical views of various aspects of his life. However, I can acknowledge that her attitude towards the other characters signifies her unhappiness with the direction her life is taking her and portends her ultimate downward spiral.
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