Causes and Impact of Depression in The Bell Jar
“The longer I lay there in the clear hot water the purer I felt, and when I stepped out at last and wrapped myself in one of the big, soft white hotel bath towels I felt pure and sweet as a new baby” (Plath 49). The aforementioned “purity” is attributed to transformation, the washing away of the dirt as she descends into a cleaner self. Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar morphs this idea of sanity and purity twisting it to make us all question if a glass bell jar is looming over our heads. The protagonist of the story unveils the demented and deceitful side of society, showing how cruel the world can be. Throughout the novel, we see as she slowly creeps into the darkness of depression and how society played a major contribution to her insanity, as it does to many people in today’s society. Facing the ridicule of others and needing to fit into society’s idea of perfection is a …show more content…
Mental illness patients are often seen as fragile and weak because they suffer with depression. There is a misperception that mental illness is self -inflicted, but it is more linked to stress and triggered by trauma and high intense stress situations. Being raised in a bad environment or even gene makeup can raise people 's chances of having a mental illness. Dr. Gregory Bettie, from Rochester Institute of technology, stated it best, " One of the answers that leads to the cause of depression would be a person 's interpersonal relationship with their surrounding and the people around them" (qtd. in “Social Causes of Depression”). Although, these people are not able to erase their history, they are able to better their future and receive help from those who can prevent the illness from worsening. Esther did not have a long relationship with her father, which caused her to go into a depressive state, leading to her making bad
“The longer I lay there in the clear hot water the purer I felt, and when I stepped out at last and wrapped myself in one of the big, soft white hotel bath towels I felt pure and sweet as a new baby” (Plath 49). The aforementioned “purity” is attributed to transformation, the washing away of the dirt as she descends into a cleaner self. Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar morphs this idea of sanity and purity twisting it to make us all question if a glass bell jar is looming over our heads. The protagonist of the story unveils the demented and deceitful side of society, showing how cruel the world can be. Throughout the novel, we see as she slowly creeps into the darkness of depression and how society played a major contribution to her insanity, as it does to many people in today’s society. Facing the ridicule of others and needing to fit into society’s idea of perfection is a …show more content…
Mental illness patients are often seen as fragile and weak because they suffer with depression. There is a misperception that mental illness is self -inflicted, but it is more linked to stress and triggered by trauma and high intense stress situations. Being raised in a bad environment or even gene makeup can raise people 's chances of having a mental illness. Dr. Gregory Bettie, from Rochester Institute of technology, stated it best, " One of the answers that leads to the cause of depression would be a person 's interpersonal relationship with their surrounding and the people around them" (qtd. in “Social Causes of Depression”). Although, these people are not able to erase their history, they are able to better their future and receive help from those who can prevent the illness from worsening. Esther did not have a long relationship with her father, which caused her to go into a depressive state, leading to her making bad