The Bell Jar The book starts with the setting in New York as the main character is pondering the execution of the Rosenbergs. Esther the main character is in New York because of contest held by a fashion magazine. While in New York Esther tells about her life by the encounters she's had. She is a college student and is in the honors courses. The whole trip to New York had messed up Esters way of thinking. For example before she went to New York she had planed to finish college and become a poet or English professor, but now she had no idea. When Esther returned home she became very depressed. She wanted to disregard the whole New York experience by taking a exclusive summer writing cour