The Bell Jar Blog 10

• Blog – Why does Esther feel such a need to sleep with Irwin? Does she feel better or different after it has happened?

In chapter 19 Esther runs into Irwin on the steps of the Widener Library. He asks her for the time and after she answers him he asks her where she is going. Instead of replying, back to the asylum, she said home, because he looked promising. Esther also felt that she wanted someone with more experience to make up for her lack of it, and Irwin mentioned to Esther that he did get along well with women. She also didn’t know him all that well so she thought that it would be fine to go ahead with it because she wouldn’t go on to knowing him. After it was over, Esther noticed that the towel was red with blood, and she became worried and asked Irwin if it was normal. Esther goes back to the asylum where Joan is and she takes her to the emergency room. This experience has definitely hurt Esther, but it would soon get worse. After Esther returned to the asylum from the hospital, Dr. Quinn asked if she knew where Joan was. “One of the orderlies found her…. just now, coming to work…. she’s not…dead…. I’m afraid she’s hanged herself.” (Pg.235) The book end with Esther stepping into the room, we will never know if she left the mental institution or escaped her bell jar.