Esther's Double in The Bell Jar

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2013-05-21T11:37:50Z
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Absztrakt

Sylvia Plath consciously offers several psychological projections, that is doubles to her protagonist, Esther in The Bell Jar. But what is a double and how does it function? A double basically is the embodiment of one of the selves of a person who is not able to develop and reconcile the various sides of his or her personality. A double can act instead of the character and thus it can fulfill his or her desires, but it represents the character’s fears equally, such as failure or punishment. The double itself has its double nature. ”… the ’double’ was originally an insurance against the destruction of the ego, an ’energetic denial of the power of death’.” (Freud citing Rank 356) But the double itself ”becomes the uncanny harbinger of death” (Freud 357). Actually, though a double can be the source of momentary satisfaction, mostly it has its destructive and subversive effect too, it can cause the death of the character if it overwhelms him or her and becomes uncontrollable... (Introduction)

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double, femininity, maternity, innocence - promiscuity
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