The Bell Jar Study Guide

1. What college does Esther Greenwood attend?

• She never says which one.
• Wellesley
• Harvard
• Smith

2. Which person is not matched with the correct fictional counterpart in the novel?

• Sylvia Plath : Esther Greenwood
• Helen Gurley Brown : Jay Cee
• Olive Higgins Prouty : Philomena Guinea
• Mrs. Plath : Mrs. Greenwood

3. Which of the characters is nicknamed "Pollyanna Cowgirl"?

• Doreen
• Esther
• Hilda
• Betsy

4. What contemporary event is a preoccupation for Esther Greenwood?

• The Korean war
• The Rosenberg case
• The 1952 presidential election
• McCarthy trials

5. What pseudonym does Esther use when speaking to Lenny and Frankie?

• Philomena Guinea
• Elly Higginbottom
• Marjorie Sherwood
• Ethel Rosenberg

6. When is the first time that Esther has eaten out at a proper restaurant?

• Her date with Constantin.
• The "Ladies Day" banquet.
• Dinner with Philomena Guinea
• Her date with Buddy Willard.

7. What is the significance of Esther's chemistry course?

• It shows that Esther cannot handle her priorities.
• It shows that Esther is easily manipulated by teachers and other authority figures.
• It shows how Esther often avoids problems instead of facing them.
• It shows how Esther will sacrifice herself for her work.

8. What advice does Jay Cee offer to Esther?

• She tells her to find a more stable career path than poetry.
• She tells her that she will never make it in New York City.
• She tells her that she needs to take a break from her fast-paced life.
• She tells her to find something so that she can offer more than the run-of-the-mill perosn.

9. A fingerbowl triggers Esther's memory of which character?

• Buddy Willard
• Philomena Guinea
• Joan Giling
• Esther's father

10. According to Esther, why is she angry at Buddy Willard?

• He slept with a waitress.
• He dated Joan Giling.
• He is a hypocrite.
• He called her a neurotic.