The Bell Jar 5

Doreeen asks Esther to go on a double date with Lenny and a “mystery” person. Esther agrees to it and finds out that she has been set up with a man named Marco. Marco immediately gives Esther a diamond pin and says he will perform something worthy of a diamond. When he is telling her this, Marco grips her arm and leaves her with several bruises. Later, he tosses her drink into some bushes and forces her to dance with him. He then pushes her to the ground and undresses her. At first, Esther lied there motionless. Then, Marco called her a slut, and she begins to fight back. Esther refuses to return the diamond he gave her, and Marco begins to beat her. He smeared his blood all over his face and threatens to break her neck. Esther then returns back to the Amazon and throws away all of her clothes. This is a way for her to get clean, just like how she took a bath earlier in the novel to rid herself from sin. Plus, Marco’s actions influenced her to return to Boston and do something that she wanted with her life like writing a novel or pursuing her education.
The next day, Esther returns to Boston. When she arrives, she found out that she did not get into the writing program that she signed up for. A couple days later, Esther received a letter from Buddy saying that he has fallen in love with a nurse. He also says that if Esther comes to visit him, he may be able to love her again. Esther writes back saying she is engaged and never wants to talk to him again. Esther decides to write a novel, and then later she decides to spend some time in Germany. She is very indecisive at this time and I think this has some relation to what Marco did to her. Esther wants to do activities she enjoys instead of just doing them to do them.