The Bell Jar Sylvia Plath

The 1950’s were a time of conformity where men and women were forced to constrict themselves to the narrow views of society, but it was also a time of change. Even though popular culture and mass media reinforced these ideas to the public, it did not reflect the actual ideals or lives women lead. At this time women were beginning to question and detach themselves from the expectations society set for them. This is why The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath is such a groundbreaking piece of work it discusses the "oppressive atmosphere of the 1950s and the soul-destroying effect this atmosphere could have an ambitious, high-minded young women “ (Bennett). The Bell Jar is a metaphor for escaping the hardships and standards that society has set for women, …show more content…
In many of her works Plath focuses on many controversial topics which include her mental health, marital relationship, and the constructs of society. She is known as the most “dynamic and admired poet of the 20th century”(Poetry Foundation). Plath spoke to people in a way that no other could she reached deep into herself and shared things that were usually kept in the shadows of the 1950’s. She made the thought of mental health and exploration as something worth exploring and understanding. She challenges young people to reject societal norms and to take the time to open up and get to know yourself on another level. Plath does this by putting out her own experiences and thoughts she had on the matter and creates Esther. The uncanny similarities between Esther and Plath serve as a realistic view of what she faced and what many others might be struggling with in the 1950’s. Plath challenged society and their views on how a woman should live and act. The fact that she takes the time to outwardly deny these ideals really showcased the change that women were embarking …show more content…
Though the bell jar drops on her it only shows how strong women can be and how they can overcome any of the obstacles life sets in front of them. As Diane Bond States Ether’s depressions are really an "intolerable psychic conflict produced by trying to meet the cultural expectations of women". These cultural expectations are what women struggled and fought about and it is why in The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath introduces a character named Dodo Conway. Dodo is described as your stereotypical housewife who spends her life wasting away, making baby after baby and taking care of the household responsibilities. As Esther gazes at a baby she thinks about Conway, “Why couldn’t I dream of devoting myself to baby after fat puking baby like Dodo Conway? If I had to wait for a baby all day, I would go mad”(p. 232). This line in particular pushed boundaries and led to the breakthrough that women do not have to give birth or spend their days like Dodo, but in fact they can do much more with their lives and flourish