The Bell Jar Reflection #4

Chapter 4 (pgs. 31-40)

When this chapter begins, Esther is still having a flashback about when she was in Jay Cee’s office.  She says that they talked more about future short stories for the magazine and they looked over manuscripts.  Esther talks about how she admired Jay Cee and how she wished her own mother had been more like Jay Cee when she was younger.  After a couple of hours, Jay Cee left to go to lunch with two famous writers and Esther went to the Ladies’ Day Banquet.  Before they left though, Jay Cee said to Esther, “Don’t let the wicked city get you down.” (pg.32)  I feel like this statement is very important and I have the feeling that it will be a recurring theme throughout the novel. 

 After Esther attends the banquet, she and some of her co- workers go see a movie.  About half way through the movie, Esther starts feeling unusual.  She quickly gets up from her seat to head back to the hotel.  Another girl named Betsey leaves with her and they get a cab to head home.  Before they can even get home, they both start throwing up uncontrollably in the cab.  They have no idea what is wrong with them.  When they get home, Esther runs to the bathroom and just lies in the floor until two people come and carry her up to her room.  Later that night, Doreen comes to Esther’s room to bring her medicine and to visit.  She informs Esther that she and the other eleven girls got food poisoning from eating the crab meat at the Ladies’ Day Banquet.  Although Esther feels awful, she is secretly happy to know that her friend Doreen is back by her side.