The Bell Jar

person, just as Esther does. “Esther’s father was the patriarch of the family; in confronting his grave she confronts all of the different pressures she feels from life and the patriarchy.” The domesticated wilderness: Patriarchal Oppression in The Bell Jar by Allison Wilkins. Without a father figure she felt empty and it prevented her from finding happiness which she tortures herself with suicidal attempts. When she underwent her first electro shock session with Doctor Gordon she had a…

Throughout both “The Catcher in the Rye” and “The Bell Jar”, the readers obtain an understanding of major themes which include; the search of social identity, the idea of a “melting pot”, and the American Dream. Both novels refer to the difficulties of the transition to adolescence. While for some, the transition may be exciting, others have a difficult time adjusting to the instant, yet drastic change. Holden Caulfield and Esther Westwood, the main characters of each of the books, have quite a…

In the book “The Bell Jar” by Sylvia Plath, Esther Greenwood has changed into a new person. At the beginning, Esther started off as a wild girl. Also, she was not that social with her family and did not have a bond with them. Additionally, Esther would always get herself in trouble. She would go hang out with boys and drink. First of all, Esther at the beginning was very strict, prima donna, and a very jealous person. Esther was the one who would drink a lot. “ ‘I’ll have a vodka, I said’ ” (11)…

I am, I’ll be free.” In The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, the main character Esther is left at loose ends when the novel ends as to whether or not she will be released from a mental institution. As the reader follows Esther’s descent and ascension from her mental illness, it is wholly unclear as to what will become of her at the end; however, it is heavily implied that Esther is released from the mental hospital because of the metaphorical “shattering” of the bell jar and acceptance of her true…

to their own lives and personal experiences. Sylvia Plath is one particular author that uses her particular experiences to write about issues that are very evident within society and very applicable to various audiences. Plath’s famous novel, The Bell Jar, is an appropriate example of using personal issues to connect with her readers. Plath uses various elements centered on Esther’s, the protagonist, psychological downfall as the main focal point in this well-known…

The novel, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, is about a young woman name Esther Greenwood who is working for a magazine company as a temporary editor in New York. While working for a magazine company that often threw many female stereotypes at her, Esther is found in between either her sweet, innocent and safe friend Betsy, or the more daredevil, outgoing and rebellious friend Doreen. Seeing as Doreen is very open on a sexual front, Esther finds herself having a difficult time between the societal…

How Much Should the Author’s Life be Known Authors Sylvia Plath of “The Bell Jar” and Justin Torres of “We the Animals” both incorporated many of their personal life events and struggles into their debut novels. By incorporating their hardships into their literary work, the two books provide an extensive look into both of the author 's frustration and fanciful imagination. In “The Bell Jar”, the protagonist, Esther Greenwood, is first described as a studious girl who, through her education,…

Sylvia Plath; Along with authors such as Virginia Woolf, Simone de Bauvoir and Marguerite Duras, is one of the biggest female authors of 20th century. The Bell Jar shares more characteristics with Sylvia Plath’s life than just a semi-autobiographical novel. The main character of the book, Esther travels to New York to work as an intern in a fashion magazine, just like Sylvia Plath did. They are both poets, who lost their fathers at the age of 8 and both Esther and Sylvia Plath slowly falls into…

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story, ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ and Sylvia Plath’s novel, ‘The Bell Jar’, scrutinises how both women, the unnamed narrator and Esther, become mentally unstable. Both protagonists exploit their real life situations in their story and novel to emphasise how being a woman living in a patriarchal society has caused mental breakdowns. Moreover, they make attempts to explore and understand their suffering of depression and the possible ways to overcome it. The short…

In Sylvia Plath 's autobiographical novel The Bell Jar, the text takes the reader through the struggles of a young woman Esther, Sylvia Plath’s alter ego, who faces unruly patriarchal oppression which limits her ability to succeed within her community. This drives Esther to attempt suicide in a multitude of ways. Esther is aware of a female 's oppression within the 1950’s and relates imbalance between men and women to the battle between nature and technology. Esther is subject to patriarchal…