The Bell Jar

In summer 1953, 19-year-old Esther Greenwood is spending a month interning at Ladies’ Day magazine in New York, a position she secured by winning an essay-writing contest. Despite having an opportunity that other girls would kill for, Esther isn’t enjoying herself. She feels as numb and lifeless as “the eye of a tornado” (3). Esther grew up in the suburbs of Boston, and she struggles to relate to her fellow interns, most of whom are wealthy high-society girls just waiting around to get married. She makes friends with Doreen, a sharp-tongued girl from the South, and Betsy, another intern with a wholesome, all-American appearance and demeanor. Esther and Doreen are on their way to a party when a radio jockey named Lenny Shepherd approaches and invites them to join him for a drink. Lenny instantly attaches himself to Doreen, and Esther is paired with a friend of Lenny’s named Frankie, whom she finds unattractive due to his short stature. The group visits a bar, and Esther, who knows nothing about alcohol, orders a vodka neat on a whim. She tells Frankie that her name is Elly Higginbottom and that she’s from Chicago.