Ramblings of a DVD

       Throughout the Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath Buddy Willard acts duplicitous and treats Esther Greenwood's decision to never marry as something that he can change her mind on. Buddy also does these seemingly manipulative things. But is Buddy Willard manipulative? I would say yes, because Buddy doesn't need to be some sinister mastermind with a grand plan in order to be manipulative. Buddy Willard is trying to make Esther change her mind on something he has already been told is final, and tries to do some things that seem pretty manipulative.        When we examine when Esther first tells Buddy, it seems as though Buddy views Esther not wanting to marry as a setback to overcome, and not the rejection it most obviously is. He isn't even bothered by it.      "'I think I should tell you something, Buddy.'      'I know,' Buddy said stiffly. 'You've met someone.'      'No, it's not that.'    ...

       Through out the book Holden repeatedly gets himself into messes and disasters of a social interaction, but why? I would say it's because the next thing he does after a disastrous social interaction is to go find another one. Checking back at my notes he considered calling someone a minimum of 4 times, and at least 4 times did call someone. He considered calling Phoebe and Jane Gallagher multiple times, and will either call no one or someone else. Some examples include, "I damn near gave my kid sister Phoebe a buzz," (Salinger 87) or "I started toying with the idea, while I kept standing there, of giving old Jane a buzz —" (Salinger 82). But the two main reasons he goes from disastrous interaction to disastrous interaction is that he hasn't grown up and doesn't want to have nor know how to have a grown up conversation. And the second reason is because he does not want to be alone so he keeps trying to seek out a connection and someone who 'gets...