The Bell Jar Identity Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

I felt very still and very empty, the way the eye of a tornado must feel, moving dully along in the middle of the surrounding hullaballoo. (1.9)

In this early passage, Esther feels that she is distanced from the "hullaballoo" of New York City. Her feelings of emptiness suggest that she's lost her sense of who she is.

Quote #2

Doreen had intuition. Everything she said was like a secret voice speaking straight out of my own bones. (1.42)

Esther uses the term "intuition" to describe characters with whom she instantly connects. They are usually unconventional characters, such as Doreen.

Quote #3

I felt myself melting into the shadows like the negative of a person I'd never seen before in my life. (1.64)

This passage describes how Esther feels invisible in social situations. In the darkness of the bar, all eyes are on the beautiful Doreen in her gleaming white dress, and not on Esther.