Analysing the Bell Jar

Set in the early 1950's, the Bell Jar is the immensely famous novel written by the enigmatic author Sylvia Plath about the vigor of youth, eager plans for the future and eventually describes the protagonist's descent into madness and suicide. The protagonist Esther is seen as someone who is exploring her power as a woman, and individuality plays a major theme in this exploration of gender. Since it is a theme universal whenever youth is talked of, it fits in well with the character of Esther who seems surprisingly distinctive when put next to the characters that support her in the book. The 1950's was an era where feminism was repressed, but society was still confused about the role of women in general, hence there was a slow reformation taking place in the minds of modern society about the freedoms allowed to women. In her first novel, Sylvia Plath places her protagonist Esther through similar hurdles that she herself faced when thrust into a world where she is provided with everything too easily, and throughout the story the audience is made to feel just as unsatisfied as the author with the frivolities of her sex and life in general at that time period. Esther Greenwood must face the world and make choices about her future that will reflect on the rest of her life, but she soon finds out that she cannot identify with the female stereotypes presented to her, that she must conform by, the result of which is her psychological state being severely disturbed. Her insecurities clearly reflect those of the author herself, about her identity and her looks, as well as aspects of her personality. Esther's indecisiveness and inability to adapt to the circumstances surrounding her do not make her into a stronger being, rather breaks her down mentally so much so that she cannot repress suicidal thoughts from arising.

People who have not read Sylvia Plath's works will most probably know of her as a death obsessed poet who happened to be a feminist as well, but fell to her death through a significantly violent and horrifying death. However, she must not be judged only for her novels as she was one of the most gifted poets of her generation, writing beautifully deep and analogous poetry that is often also described as being dark. When seen in a positive light, one can honestly describe her poetry as beautiful and sensuous, the products of her mind eliciting a much warmer response by audiences than by those reflecting her mental state. She managed to take her paranoia and psychologically disturbed state of mind and made something beautiful out of it, of which not a lot of authors can boast. Esther narrates the Bell Jar the plot of which is her own descent into and recovery from-madness. It is an equivalent of a coming-of-age story through which the audience experiences the positive energies of the narrator as well as the exciting lifestyle she is suddenly thrust ...