When Esther first talked with Dr. Gordon, she felt that she was in "a black, airless sack with no way out," but she couldn't tell him about it. It is in this section of the novel that Plath first tells us what a bell jar is, and we note immediately that Dr. Gordon's office is windowless. Esther is in a windowless place, suffocating, and the doctor is not helpful. It must be noted here that Esther's serious suicide attempt takes place after she sees Dr. Gordon and after her first electroshock treatment. Esther obviously does not feel that the doctor can help her, and she feels that she would rather die than be subjected to treatments that punish her body by making her feel that her bones are breaking and that her "sap" is flying out of her.
Again Esther is very worried about being hopelessly crazy and becoming institutionalized or being a "shop dummy" who will burden her family for life. Her thoughts of suicide go hand-in-hand with her reading yellow journalism articles on suicides and her conviction that she is a hopeless case. All of her attempts to feel better go awry. When she goes to the beach for freedom and solace, she discovers that she is on prison property. Windowless rooms, airless sacks, prison property, the bell jar. It is no wonder that Esther crawls into a hole and takes pills. Her life is a tomb anyway.
Ironically, one of the sickest people at the hospital that Esther is in, after her suicide attempt, is named Mrs. Mole, who turns the tureen of beans upside down on her plate and then is led away. Esther is left to wonder, "I couldn't imagine what they had done with Mrs. Mole." The real question, however, is: what will they do with Esther? Will her mother be able to help her? When will Esther take charge of her own life?
