Esther's Shoes

     While still in the middle of The Bell Jar, I was somewhat perplexed by Esther's mention of the shoes she was wearing.  She usually gave the same description about them:  her "black patent leather shoes."  The first time she mentions them is on the second page, along with "a black patent leather belt and black patent leather pocketbook to match."  For whatever reason, it seemed to me an odd detail to bring up so often.  Part of that was because I was unfamiliar with the phrase "patent leather," but for whatever reason, the shoes stuck with me.

     

     Apart from a few casual mentions at the beginning, and during the assault by Marco, the most notable section with Esther's shoes is in Chapter 12.  The first mention is when Esther considers ending her life by cutting her wrists.  Esther cuts her leg, and watches the blood pool into her shoe.  The next time she mentions her shoe is again in Chapter 12, when she considers drowning herself.  She leaves her shoes on the beach, and says, "It pleased me to think they would be perched there on the silver log, pointing out to sea, like a sort of soul-compass, after I was dead."  Esther seems to hold some regard for her shoes, as they are what would remain if she were to die as she was planning.

     

     While Esther is contemplating her death, the chill of the waves makes her "[think] longingly of the black shoes on the beach."  Then, as she decides against drowning, she says, "I picked up my pocketbook and started back over the cold stones to where my shoes kept their vigil in the violet light."  The idea of the personified shoes' "vigil" is very interesting, as it implies they are in some way watching over her.  To be clear, I am not trying to imply that the shoes stop her, but the human quality she gives them is quite interesting.  

     

     The next time she mentions her shoes, blood is pooling in them again, only, this is after her encounter with Irwin, while she is on the road to recovery, and the bleeding was not started intentionally.  Interestingly, Esther also mentions her shoes just before she goes into the interview to be released.  This creates a sort of book-end effect (especially when one considers the blood), and her shoes are with her during everything she goes through.  Another interesting detail is that Plath starts "Daddy" with an address to her "black shoe" which "[does] not do/ anymore" and which Plath "[has] lived like a foot/ for thirty years, poor and white,/ barely daring to breathe or Achoo."  This again stresses that her shoe has been with her throughout her experiences, and is an interesting detail along her journey.