Identity In Helen O Grady's The Bell Jar

The flashbacks give us with the impression that Esther has always played the roles which others have wanted her to play. Helen O’Grady proclaims that this kind of identification of self prevents spontaneity and weakens the chances of active participation in the making of the female identity. Furthermore, she argues that women have a tendency to police themselves and criticize their own performances within the broader culture. In the broader culture’s representations, for example in the media, the female body is frequently represented as a kind of uniform, representing an unrealistic standard. This strategy of negative self-policing tends to happen automatically; it becomes a natural part of our thinking and therefore difficult to discover.
In The Bell Jar, Esther is constantly comparing her qualities with other characters. During her stay in New York, she is comparing herself to the contrasting individuals of Doreen and Betsy. Doreen belongs to the upper middle class: she is very self-confident and noticed by her masculine deeds. Betsy comes from rural Arizona, and represents the conventional norm for women in the