Dr. Nolan's Symptomatic Treatment
A critical part of Esther’s treatment is Dr. Nolan. Dr. Nolan’s contrast with Dr. Gordon in her treatment is one of the ways that Esther is able to feel somewhat positive or free towards the end of the book. However, it is interesting to discuss whether Dr. Nolan’s treatment completely cured Esther, or whether it was a more temporary treatment. I think that Dr. Nolan’s treatment was great for Esther, but was more of a symptomatic treatment as it did not treat the larger societal problems that threatened Esther in the first place.
Towards the beginning of the novel, we see Esther deal with issues that surround how women are treated in her society. She is mentally and physically confronted with the unfair sexual standards for women, baby-trapping, and experiencing the inevitable motherhood that all women are subject to. She feels that her natural opposition to these ideals is a problem and something that only she experiences. As if she is the only woman in the world that does not want to have a kid. She feels disgusted by these standards and tropes and begins to see people/babies that represent these ideals as monsters.
When Esther eventually beings to receive treatment from Dr. Nolan, it is fundamentally different from not only the treatment of Dr. Gordon but the experiences she has had throughout her whole life. This is because Dr. Nolan’s treatment is characterized primarily by an attempt to understand Esther’s feelings and help her cope with her fears instead of ignoring them. This can be seen in the way Dr. Nolan gently helps Esther overcome her trauma of the shock treatment, and how Dr. Nolan listens to what Esther has to say in terms of her emotions. This treatment of Esther is effective and ultimately lays the groundwork for Esther to understand that her emotions and oppositions are normal and that she is not the only person who feels this way.
However, as effective as Dr. Nolan’s treatment was for Esther individually, we still see signs that Esther is still grappling with the larger societal issues that troubled her in the first place. She thinks about how the bell jar could return later in life, and trap her again. In this way, Esther feels the same apprehensions about the larger societal issues surrounding women, including her. Dr. Nolan gives her the mental confidence and stability to help her deal with her anxiety, but her treatment is somewhat symptomatic because it does not solve the underlying problem for Esther. That is, how she will maintain individuality in a world that forces her into motherhood.
Great Post! I really like how you discussed her relationship with Dr. Nolan vs Dr. Gordon. She definitely was helped by Dr. Nolan's approach and was able to see that there was hope and that she wasn't alone. Dr. Nolan did address some of the world problems Esther faced by giving her the birth control and letting her know that it wasn't her fault Joan died. I do think that Dr. Nolan didn't all the way treat Esther because she still had to face the world challenges and didn't seem to target those in her therapy with Dr. Nolan. Dr. Nolan did a lot for Esther and allowed her to view the world in a some what different way so overall I think she made progress in Esthers healing journey. Good work!
ReplyDeleteI do agree that much of Esther's treatment, might be symptomatic in nature (hence Sylvia's relapse of depression in the real world), but I also think that Dr. Nolan is trying to help her with these large societal issues. That's why she prescribes birth control, to 'solve' for her one of her biggest qualms with the current system. Also, the mere fact that Dr. Nolan is a woman in a male-dominated medical field is vitally important to her success in reaching out to Esther, while Dr. Gordon, representative of all she hates about the patriarchy, falls flat immediately.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that for the most part, Esther's treatment is symptomatic. But considering the constraints and norms of the time, Esther seems to get some pretty rare and relatively groundbreaking therapy. The simple fact that Dr. Nolan is a woman in a male-dominated field is a refreshing change and helps her receive validation for the concerns she thought no other woman had in the 50s. Additionally, their high level of communication and openess is indicative of a more modern approach to rehabilitation that is focused on actual therapy rather trying to "fix" the patient. Despite all the revolutionary elements of her treatment, the heavy use of electroshock therapy without attempting other treatments first is a symptomatic and outdated approach.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree, I was thinking the same thing at the end of the book. We know that Esther is writing the story from a much better place with a kid and what seems like a happy life, but I wonder what happened to Esther immediately after she left the hospital. At the time the book takes place, there's really not much Dr. Nolan or Esther can do immediately to change the society they live in. It's definitely interesting to imagine Esther's life after the hospital and how she's able to cope. Great post!
ReplyDeleteLooking back, it could be argued that because Sylvia Plath did indeed experience a rebound of depression, Sylvia (via Ester) did not have her fundamental problem treated. If we are to focus on Esther purely as a character however, I'm not quite sure if it can really be argued that Dr. Nolan's treatment was symptomatic where another alternative could really exist. Fundamentally, I would think that treating an illness like Esther's would require either 1) destroying the systems which cause her anxiety or 2) changing the way her brain works. Neither of these solutions are effectively feasible and I believe that most treatment of these types of illnesses are symptomatic... that is why depression can come back and patient treatments often focus on trying to cope with the stressors of life. I guess Dr. Nolan's treatment is symptomatic, but it isn't necessarily symptomatic where another treatment could be significantly better or effective...
ReplyDeleteI definitely see the point you are making. The possibility that Esther might not be "fully cured" of her mental illness still looms. Perhaps Esther's fear of the bell jar returning is not implausible, and with the passing of time it may resurface. The interesting thing that I believe you alluded to is the fact that as long as the societal norms and sexual double standards that haunted Esther throughout the novel persist, she will never truly feel liberated from the bell jar. It is not unreasonable to think this. However, with the current state of society, it'll be awhile before those norms are eradicated. With this being said, will Esther ever be "fully cured?" or will she continue to rely on the symptomatic treatment of Dr. Nolan for the rest of her life?
ReplyDeleteReally interesting blog post. I think there was some discussion in class that the contrast between Dr. Nolan's treatment and that of Dr. Gordon's could have been due to their genders. Additionally, you also raise the question of whether Dr. Nolan's treatment was merely symptomatic or whether it addressed the larger societal problems that were causing Esther's issues. This discussion highlights the complexity of mental health treatment and the need to consider both individual and systemic factors in addressing mental health issues. Ultimately, I think the time setting of the 1950s truly limit how well Esther could have been treated.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Dr. Nolan mainly took care of Esther in the moment she felt her absolute worst. However, I think that it was the way that she cared for her that helped Esther to recover. Esther felt that someone could understand her needs and relate to her.
ReplyDeleteBy prescribing Esther birth control, Dr. Nolan took a step forward in easing her worries about motherhood, which may contributed to the nosedive of her mental health. Overall, I think that her treatment for Esther was quite effective for what it was worth.