A bell jar is an environment in which something is protected or cut off from the outside world. In The Bell Jar, a novel by Sylvia Plath, Esther feels trapped by society's expectations and finds herself cut off from the world. She's caught between what she wants and what people expect of her. This conflict proves even more difficult when important people surround Esther with their own expectations. Only when he completely frees himself from external pressures is he able to return to a healthy mental state and continue with his life. Esther's madness is the natural result of living in a culture that has ridiculous expectations – regarding school, marriage and career – for women. Esther has the privilege of fifteen years of scholarship; however, the pressures of upholding the scholarship kid image along with collegiate expectations begin to wear on her. Coming from a poor family, Esther had to rely on her grades to determine her future. Her grades earned her a scholarship to Smith College and an internship at Mademoiselle Magazine in New York. Esther thinks that she ...