The Bell Jar Chapter Summary & Analysis - Chapter 12 Summary

Chapter 12 Summary

Esther and her mother are in the waiting room of Dr. Gordon's clinic. Although Esther is registering the appearance of the other people there, her vision is distorted. Then she is taken to a room where the equipment is ready for the treatment. The electrodes are placed on her temples and "then something bent down and took hold of me and shook me like the end of the world," she writes. She wonders what terrible thing she has done. Afterwards, she tries to concentrate but cannot. She tells her mother that she will not go back to Dr. Gordon.

Now she explores ways to commit suicide. She plans to use a razor blade in the bathroom, thinking that she will slit her wrists and then get into a bathtub full of hot water. She has misgivings, though, about her ability to manage it, so she decides to practice on her...
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