Qualia In The Bell Jar

In philosophy, qualia is an individual's subjective internal emotional experience. Qualia refers to the aspects of human experience that may be perceived differently by others for a variety of reasons. Internal states may be described, although they differ from person to person. Qualia may include simple experiences such as the perception of color, texture of temperature. However, it may also be much more complex such as an individual's thoughts and experience relating to mental disorders, family dysfunction, or death. Throughout the unit “Catharsis and Confession”, the concept of qualia and internal states was expressed through significant pieces of literature. In these pieces of literature, the translation of emotion, and fluid internal states …show more content…
Plath’s content reactions were recorded throughout her experiences at a hospital in which she was confronted with things that the average person may find completely gruesome and morbid. While observing mental patients and dead fetuses held in jars, she becomes increasingly curious and fascinated. Plath’s strange perception and obsession different from the typical person becomes obvious to readers when she responds to a question by saying, “Wonderful, I could see something like that every day” (35). Plath also states, “I was quite proud of the way I stared at all of these gruesome things” …show more content…
Stallings, the author indirectly tells readers the effect that the absence of her father has had on her life. Rather than tell readers straightforward that she feels lonely and that her life seems incomplete, the author uses indirect metaphorical language to better show her internal state of emotions. The author reveals that she feels as if some part of her life is incomplete and that the lack of her father's presence in her life will continue to leave a void of emptiness because she states, “The gap of a dropped stitch, the needle’s eye weeping its black thread” (3-4). The author is also able to reveal that she spends a significant amount of time alone or feelings lonely because she indirectly states “It's the startled silences that come when the refrigerator stops its hum, and crickets pause to let the winter pass” (6-8). Indirect language and metaphorical language allows the readers to interpret themselves the message that the author is trying to convey and therefore, it has more of an impact and allows readers to connect to the character and understand their internal states much more easily than being writing it