How does Esther describe her first shock treatment?
A nurse wearing thick glasses hooks Esther up to the shock machine, and a jolt shakes Esther “like the end of the world.” She wonders what awful thing she did to deserve this punishment. The treatment reminds her of the time she accidentally electrocuted herself with her father's lamp. Dr.
Did Sylvia Plath undergo electroshock therapy?
Daily therapy sessions and regular insulin injections stabilized Plath, but she was still suicidal when, in December, Barnhouse convinced her to undergo electroshock therapy again. This time administered properly, the shock treatments were so effective Plath only required two sessions.
What did Dr Nolan tell Esther the shock therapy was supposed to be like?
Dr. Nolan, Esther's new doctor, is a pleasant, understanding woman who assures Esther that her previous electro-shock therapy was not done properly. We discover that Esther is to be given insulin therapy, which will make her fat, and, at some point, it is suppose to induce a reaction somewhat like electro-shock.
Did Sylvia Plath get a lobotomy?
She has insulin therapy, growing fat, but not a lobotomy, but a “friend” in the hospital had one. She writes a lot about killing herself and attempts it very seriously at one point–but is found two days after taking a 100 sleeping pills and hiding herself.
Is insulin shock therapy still used?
Insulin coma therapy went out of vogue with the introduction of antipsychotics in the 1960s. By that time, it had also been largely discredited and was on its way to being relegated to an embarrassing blip in the history of psychiatry.
How many shock treatments did Esther?
They go outside, and Esther notices that the metaphorical bell jar has lifted and she can breathe the open air. Dr. Nolan tells her she will have shock treatments three times a week.
Why did Joan hang herself in the bell jar?
Joan made her first suicide attempt after she read about Esther's troubles in the newspaper. It was as if she found it inspiring. She did have a fascination with Esther that was indeed a crush.
Why was Esther bleeding in the bell jar?
When she loses her virginity, she bleeds so copiously that she must seek medical attention. The presence of blood suggests a ritual sacrifice: Esther will sacrifice her body for peace of mind, and sacrifice her virginity for the sake of experience.
Does Esther get a lobotomy in the bell jar?
Valerie shows Esther the scars at her temples and explains that she has had a lobotomy. She says she used to be angry all the time, and now she feels fine. She has no desire to leave the hospital.
Did Sylvia Plath try to slit her throat?
Poet Sylvia Plath tried to cut her throat at the age of 10 - two decades before the troubled writer killed herself, a new biography has claimed. The revelation about the American novelist's troubled childhood has emerged on the eve of the 50th anniversary of her death.
How did Sylvia Plath break her leg?
While visiting Norton, Plath broke her leg skiing, an incident that was fictionalized in the novel. Plath also used the novel to highlight the issue of women in the workforce during the 1950s. She strongly believed in women's abilities to be writers and editors, while society forced them to fulfill secretarial roles.
What is a bell jar a metaphor of?
In The Bell Jar, the main character uses the bell jar as the primary metaphor for feelings of confinement and entrapment.