Mary Bell

Did you know Hannah Senesh was executed for helping save Jews? I learned about her reasoning for joining the British Army, her being a poet and diarist and all the bodies of work she left behind inspiring many generations, and her legacy. To many people in Israel, Senesh is a symbol of idealism and self-sacrifice. Senesh was in her twenties when she joined the British Army. Stated in the Jewish Virtual Library, “The operations purpose was to contact the partisan resistance fighters and to help…

Virginia Woolf Virginia Woolf was a troubled individual who struggled with depression her entire life. She was able to write about her experiences which inspired some of her greatest works. It is sad, though, that she was in darkness her whole life and was not able to see the light. But, despite the darkness, she was able to give the literary world some great pieces and that is what she is remembered for. Virginia Woolf was a very influential writer of her time and continues to be today, she…

Virginia Woolf was a famous writer who was diagnosed with bipolar I disorder. She wrote many essays and short stories including A Room of One’s Own, The Voyage Out, The Year, and Between the Acts. During her earlier years she suffered greatly from the depression side of her psychological disorder. Virginia had many traumatic experiences in her lifetime including being sexually harassed by her older half-brothers and the deaths of many of her family members. When her mother died in 1895 she was…

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)…

In the book “The Bell Jar” by Sylvia Plath the theme is family before anything. Family is the most meaningful concept on earth. Your family cares, loves, and protects. Without your family you would be nowhere. Having your family will help get past your troubles, support, and help succeed in the future. First, in the beginning of the book, Esther did not have a connection with her family. “My own mother wasn’t much help” (39). Esther’s mother was callous on her. Her mother had to take care of 2…

identity in a society where basic values are less likely to be tampered with. In "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath, she faces horrific mental, physical, and emotional breakdowns throughout her life to figure out her purpose. Esther Greenwood's dreams and aspirations are smothered by her demanding environment and impinging madness. Esther is probable to fall into a crisis or two and lose her courage to live life. In "The Bell Jar", Esther seeks out crisis situations (almost always purposely)…

The Bell Jar was written around the 1950’s and 1960’s, when women were expected to adhere to specific societal norms. Often, these norms included being a mother of children, staying at home cleaning or cooking, and being an obedient wife. Society placed high importance, along with these expectations/behaviors, on the women while they were at home or in public. Society accepted women who met all these factors. Esther, a character in The Bell Jar, and Sylvia’s autobiographical figure, lacks all of…

Elements of Voice: The Bell Jar The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath is a timeless literary classic. One reason that this novel has transcended the ages since the 1960s is Plath’s expert use of the elements of voice. Few novels may stand the test of time. A vast knowledge of author’s craft is necessary to create a story that is intricate and detail-oriented without becoming overly specific and unrelateable. Sylvia Plath suffered from depression throughout her life, which led to her poetry and novels…

One integral metaphor within The Bell Jar is that of the fig tree, which Esther uses to describe her life. She envisions her life as a fig tree spreading out its branches into various futures she could have. One branch symbolizes what society expects of her: to have a husband, children, and a “happy home” (Plath 84). Other branches symbolize a combination of what society expects of her and what she expects of herself: to be a “famous poet,” a “brilliant professor,” or an “amazing editor” (Plath…

The Story of an Hour is a short story by author Kate Chopin, that was published in 1984. The story was originally published in Vogue, on December 6th, titled "The Dream of an Hour”. Louise Mallard, the main character, has heart problems. Therefore, at the beginning of the text we are told that she must be informed of her husband’s death in a careful manner. Her sister Josephine delivers the news. The reader is also told that Louise’s husband’s friend, named Richards, had learned about his…