tone, point of view, irony,

Tone-

The tone in the bell jar is very matter-of-fact at most times. Basically, Esther "tells it like it is" and is very candid in expressing her thoughts. However, the tone is also very cynical because of her depressed and negative outlook on life. Her unhappiness is always evident in that she is unsatisfied, fatigued, and mad. She is not sarcastic, but she is bitter at times. Also, a very unique aspect about the novel is that she is very girlish. The fact that she obesesses about Buddy Willard a lot and always talks about sexuality, she expresses very "girlish" feelings. As a girl reader, it is really honest and real. I loved this aspect about the book because I felt like I knew exactly how she was feeling as she randomly talked about flashbacks and tiny, tiny details that make the story come alive.

Point of view-

first person

Irony-

There is probably only one example of irony in the novel. The entire time, she is cynical and detached about her life. She feels like she can never get out of her "slump" on not caring whatsoever about what she does because she can't think for herself and she has lost all of her sense of self. However, in the end, she surprisingly and unexpectedly feels like the bell jar has been lifted and she can breathe. The fact that she is almost reborn and kind of wants to start over is ironic.