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That sums up her mother's life to her, and she does not want the same life for herself.
Another interesting aspect of the novel is Esther's relationship with men, many of whom represent her missing father in one way or another. Her relationship with Constantin and most of the other men in the novel is platonic, and she trusts these men with certain aspects of her personality. She "sleeps" with Constantin, but does not have sex with him, like a father figure. Dr. Gordon is also a man she can look up to like a father, but like most of the men in the novel, he is totally disinterested in Esther herself. All of these men represent her missing father, because her relationship with them is not romantic, and she confides in some of them as she would a father. Even Buddy's father acts as a father figure, and says her would like her for a daughter. They all are men she could see more as a relative than as a romantic interest, and they illustrate how desperately she needs a father in her life to help balance the ways of her mother.
Finally, Esther's mother poses a threat to Esther because she is selfish, and only worried about appearances, not her daughter's true mental health. She does not support Esther in her dreams or desires, and really does not understand her daughter at all. Worse, she only tries to get Esther out of the hospital because her daughter's mental health issues embarrass her. She does not care if Esther gets better, which could really threaten her mental health for the rest of her life. Mrs. Greenwood is only concerned...
That is why Esther has to look to other women in the novel for maternal support, like Dr. Nolan. Esther regains her sanity with the help of others in her life, not her mother. She discovers many things about herself, and finally discovers her own feelings of freedom and release. She thinks to herself, "I am climbing to my freedom, freedom from fear, freedom from marrying the wrong person, like Buddy Willard, just because of sex, freedom from the Florence Crittenden Homes where all the poor girls go who should have been fitted out like me, because what they did, they would do anyway, regardless..." (Plath 182). Thus, her mother is a real threat to her, because of her uncaring attitude and her own selfish wants and needs.
In conclusion, "The Bell Jar" is a story of a young girl coming to womanhood, but even more, it is the story of an entire generation of women who were caught in the crossroads of new feelings, desires, and needs. Women like Esther and her friends were building new foundations for women in their careers, education, and lifestyles. Women finally discovered they did not need to get married and have children to be fulfilled and happy, and they did not have to grow up to be exactly like their mothers. Esther and her mother were very different women, and when Esther could free herself of her mother's influence, she could truly become free herself.
References
Plath, Sylvia. The Bell Jar. New York: Bantam Books, 1971.
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