Esther Greenwood Vs. Holden Caufield

 As I got closer and closer to the end of this novel, I couldn't help but see parallels between Esther and Holden. Both of these characters separate themselves from society and act as if nobody else could understand what they are going through. Holden expresses this through his notion that the world is completely superficial and narrating it as if he's the only one to have figured it out. Esther, when at the mental hospital, meets Joan, a fellow patient. A one-sided rivalry ensues where Esther claims that Joan has no reason to be here and how much greater her own pain was. Joan's enthusiasm irked Esther and was the main reason behind this claim. It all stemmed from jealousy. Joan was who Esther wanted to be. "I felt it unfair of Joan to beat me through the gates," Esther thinks, after hearing that Joan was going to Cambridge. Holden also has this similar rivalry/jealousy 

A deeper look into each book's ending also reveals a failure to come-of-age. Holden remains the way that he is throughout story. His mindset never changes and the ending to The Catcher and The Rye is a little unsatisfying because of it. The Bell Jar is a bit different but when we take into context what happens to Sylvia Plath, Esther unfortunately doesn't get better either. While the jar had finally lifted, the words "I never knew when it could come back" hung in the air and as we know, the jar returned and took with it, Syliva Plath's life. In both endings, the protagonists couldn't overcome their mind.

Comments

  1. Raneem SaadahApril 3, 2021 at 8:33 PM

    I find it interesting that even though Holden and Esther end off similarly, they both had very different approaches throughout their journey. Esther's mom put her in therapy and in general, she went through a lot to try to get better (multiple doctors, hospital visits, etc.). Holden, on the other hand, almost embraces his spontaneity and doesn't try to have structure.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lauren L.May 14, 2021 at 3:19 PM

    Your last point about the two of them being unable to overcome their minds really stuck with me. I definitely think they're both extremely stubborn and not introspective really. They always seem to be thinking either about others or from other's perspectives and never about the way they're acting or affecting themselves

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Cost of Being Different

 After reading Jason's story in Black Swan Green , and from what we've read so far in Fun Home , a common theme becomes visible. We see both of our protagonists face the pressures of "fitting in", of being like everyone else. It causes them to change, put on a facade to find comfort and safety. Both Jason and Alison hide aspects about themselves and struggle to live as if they're both under constant scrutiny. Jason with his stutter and passion for poetry and Alison with her sexuality. The only place where these two can be themselves is when they're alone. The power of social influence almost makes these two hate how they are, makes them want to be different. In Black Swan Green the pressure comes from classmates and in Fun Home , it's mostly exuded by Alison's mother. Just as their insecurities are similar, so are their coming of age. Both Alison and Jason learn to accept who they are, and no longer fall victim to their differences. Jason's transfo...
Read more