I think it is worthy to note that the “bell jar” Esther refers to is a symbolic metaphor that can be identified as an Idiom of distress. Esther’s perception of living in a reality she has no control over, that she feels confined within and entrapped in, is her way of symbolically conveying her morbid affliction towards the reality she is living in. Throughout the novel, Esther uses “the bell jar” to express her inner distress that starts to slowly deteriorate her psyche. Esther references a second Idiom of distress throughout the novel as well; a fig tree. The fig tree holds symbolism because she views her life as the fig tree. Each fig from the tree is a symbolic representation of her different life choices, for example, getting married, having