Gender Issues

Gender Issues in Sylvia Plath's “The Bell Jar”

Introduction

Plath's semi-autobiographical, and only, novel The Bell Jar, comprises an incessant personal struggle in terms of self-consciousness, death, gender and sexuality - an image of the societal constraints for women in the fifties. Gender issues are an underlying metaphor throughout the novel, with dark themes of women subjugation, hypocrisy, and stereotypical gender roles associated with both men and women. Esther Greenwood, the protagonist of The Bell Jar struggles to carve out a social identity for herself, despite conventional female gender roles. Esther lives in a world where women are defined by prescribed gender roles. Through the novel, Plath expresses the traditional expectations that women are confronted with and abhors the concept of a domesticated existence, where child-bearing and being a good wife is the sole purpose of a woman's existence. The political and societal background of America in the fifties, of course, is important in regard to the disparity in gender equality. Critics of the Bell Jar along with feminists acknowledge the accurate portrayal of the insecurities, frustrations, and internal conflict felt by an ambitious and capable young woman in a profession that is almost entirely dominated by men. The Bell Jar is an apt representation of the various stigmas of its time especially the social myopia regarding gender equality.

Discussion

Portrayal of male & female characters in The Bell Jar

Esther Greenwood

Esther Greenwood is the controversial, yet remarkable, heroine of Plath's The Bell Jar. She defies societal norms and hypocritical values, which explains her obsession with losing her virginity before marriage. The portrayal of Esther is semi-autobiographical as many aspects of her personality (such as the conflict with the self, obsession with death, and cynical mockery of gender inequality in society) are similar to Plath's own mentality. Plath is one of the most studied American poets - a literary genius who is best known for her confessional style writing which includes her poetric works and her auto-biographical novel, The Bell Jar. She attempted suicide prior to 1963 and received treatment for her depression and suicidal tendencies in a mental facility, eventually taking her own life in 1963 at the young age of 31. Many instances of Plath's life take the action forward in The Bell Jar and the reader can clearly distinguish Plath's troubled state of mind as well as her animosity towards men, society, and marriage, all reflected starkly in Esther's thoughts. Plath's tainted image of men, for instance, is also reflected in various places in The Bell Jar as Esther says “I would catch sight of some flawless man off in the distance, but as soon as he moved closer I immediately saw he wouldn't do at all” (Plath page number). Plath created Esther to represent a woman at war with a tradition society that encourages gender disparities. Because of this Esther is torn apart between choosing from archetypical representations of women, from the naughty girl Doreen to the good, wholesome girl Betsy. Even so, Esther can only partly connect with any ...