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  2. The fig tree quote from The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath is often used out-of-context to represent Esther's indecision and depression. But it's not the only metaphor in the book that shows her recovery and hope. Learn how the fig tree quote changes the meaning of the book and the author.

  3. Expert Answers. Robert C. Evans. | Certified Educator. Share Cite. When Esther, the main character of Sylvia Plath ’s novel The Bell Jar, finds herself ill in New York, she reads an issue of...

    • Sylvia Plath, Frances Monson McCullough, Lois Ames
    • 1963
    • “I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked.
    • “I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart. I am, I am, I am.” ― Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar.
    • “If you expect nothing from somebody you are never disappointed.” ― Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar.
    • “I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, "This is what it is to be happy.” ― Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar.
    • The Bell Jar
    • The Fig Tree
    • Headlines
    • The Beating Heart
    • GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec

    The bell jar is an inverted glass jar, generally used to display an object of scientific curiosity, contain a certain kind of gas, or maintain a vacuum. For Esther, the bell jar symbolizes madness. When gripped by insanity, she feels as if she is inside an airless jar that distorts her perspective on the world and prevents her from connecting with ...

    Early in the novel, Esther reads a story about a Jewish man and a nun who meet under a fig tree. Their relationship is doomed, just as she feels her relationship with Buddy is doomed. Later, the tree becomes a symbol of the life choices that face Esther. She imagines that each fig represents a different life. She can only choose one fig, but becaus...

    Chapter 16marks one of Esther’s most debilitating bouts with her illness. In this chapter, headlines are reprinted in the text of the novel. Joan gives Esther actual headlines from articles reporting Esther’s disappearance and attempted suicide. These headlines symbolize Esther’s exposure, her effect on others, and the gap between Esther’s interpre...

    When Esther tries to kill herself, she finds that her body seems determined to live. Esther remarks that if it were up to her, she could kill herself in no time, but she must outwit the tricks and ruses of her body. The beating heart symbolizes this bodily desire for life. When she tries to drown herself, her heart beats, “I am I am I am.” It repea...

    Learn about the symbols in Sylvia Plath's novel The Bell Jar, such as the fig tree, the bell jar, and the headlines. The fig tree represents Esther's life choices and her indecision, while the bell jar symbolizes her madness and the headlines show her impact on the world.

  4. Feb 4, 2024 · In Sylvia Plaths novel ‘The Bell Jar,’ the fig tree scene serves as a powerful metaphor for the protagonist’s struggle with societal expectations and the overwhelming choices she faces. This pivotal scene delves into the complexities of feminine identity, encapsulating the protagonist’s internal conflict regarding her roles and aspirations.

  5. In Chapter 7 of The Bell Jar, Esther compares her life choices to a fig tree with rotting fruits. She feels she cannot have it all: marriage, children, poetry, career. The fig tree symbolizes her confusion and frustration with society's expectations and sexual double standards.

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