While reading The Bell Jar I'm sure we've all had a few laughs(or cringes) at the questionable actions of Buddy Willard. For one, attempting to seduce a girl by taking off his clothes and politely asking her to do the same, and also bringing up his mom in said attempt at seduction. Oof. Then there's making his prom date walk 5 miles to get home in freezing weather. Somehow these things don't illicit much of a reaction from Esther. If I were in her place I would have just ghosted Buddy, TB or not. What surprises me is that the one action of Buddy which prompts a strong reaction from Esther is one that deviates from his usual sleazy/cringy actions, instead being somewhat honest. When Esther asks if Buddy has had an affair, he answers her honestly; he slept with a waitress over the summer. Esther then immediately labels Buddy as a hypocrite. He, who to her and everyone around her symbolized purity and innocence, had actually been doing some shady stuff and was too scared