The Bell Jar Chapter 18 Summary

  • Esther wakes up, feeling as though "[the] bell jar hung, suspended, a few feet above my head" (18.5).
  • Later, Joan and Esther discover that they have both received letters from Buddy. Joan raves about Mrs. Willard, which Esther finds strange.
  • During this conversation, Esther thinks back to earlier in the day when she had gone to the room of another patient, DeeDee, looking for some piano music. When she opened the door, she had discovered DeeDee and Joan in bed together.
  • When Joan tells Esther that she likes DeeDee, Esther tells Joan that Joan disgusts her.
  • Later, Esther arrives at a doctor's office to get a prescription for a diaphragm filled.