Did Esther Trap Herself in The Bell Jar Essay - 1599 Words

The Bell Jar is an autobiography of a female sophomore. The girl-Esther, who is 19 years old, came from suburban area of Boston. As she had talent writing skills, she was invited to New York to serve as guest editor in a national fashion magazine office. In her one-month stay in New York, on one hand, Esther was cautious and conscientious to learn from an able and efficient female editor-Jay Cee, and she dreamt to follow Jay Cee’s successful step. On the other hand, she met various men and women in her colorful social life. These experiences reminded her of her life in women’s university, especially her relationship with her boyfriend- Buddy Willard. As the recollection often interweaved with reality, they brought Esther perplexity,†¦show more content†¦The setting of The Bell Jar was New York and Boston in 1953 summer, and we can see from the beginning of the novel that Esther’s value orientation was totally different from 1950s’ of American soci ety. Thousands of teenagers long for American dream because they hope to change their poor life by working hard. Esther succeeded in her study since she was young, and her talent as well as industriousness won her a lot of praise and scholarship. These made Esther, who was short of money, got various enviable chances-paid practical training in the New York famous magazine office was just one of her latest achievements. We can say that Esther’s life was absolutely the best interpretation of American dream. However, to Esther, she could not feel the significance of realization of American dream, and she could not react as what others expected, either. At that time, most American would deem her symbol of success of having one-month busy activities and various presents. However, Esther could not link her achievements on study to the successful image that the society set for women. In a word, Esther did not know what kind of women she should be. Before she went to have practical training in New York, she could not bear anything that obstruct the success on her career, and she even had hostility to the traditional female image which was highly praised at that time. Her hostility was shown on the discontent of her mother and Mrs. Willard-her boyfriend’s mother. TheseShow MoreRelatedSymbolism In The Bell Jar1548 Words   |  7 Pagesuses many literary devices to convey her purpose in The Bell Jar such as symbolism. The Bell Jar itself is used as symbolic representation of the emotional state Esther is in. The glass jar distorts her image of the world as she feels trapped under the glass. It represents mental illness , a confining jar that descends over her mind and doesn’t allow her to live and think freely. Symbols and images of life and death pervade The Bell Jar. Esther experiences psychological distress which is a motif inRead MoreThe Bell Jar Essay858 Words   |  4 PagesThe Bell Jar as a Controlling Image in The Bell Jar Sylvia Plaths The Bell Jar contains a constant reference to a bell jar that acts as a controlling image. The bell jar in the novel controls the novel in three ways. It acts as a symbol for the depression that Esther Greenwood, the central character, experiences. It also serves as a metaphor for her. Finally, it is the very illusion that drives her into depression. Esther Greenwood works for a fashion magazine in New York and lives a dreamRead MoreThe Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath1211 Words   |  5 PagesSylvia Plath Research Paper Title The Bell Jar place[s] [the] turbulent months[of an adolescent’s life] in[to] mature perspective (Hall, 30). 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Plath also explores the idea of how grave these timeless and poignant issues can affect a fragileRead More Weaknesses of Esther and Plath Exposed in Sylvia Plaths The Bell Jar1174 Words   |  5 PagesWeaknesses of Esther and Plath Exposed in The Bell Jar   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The glass of which a bell jar is constructed is thick and suffocating, intending to preserve its ornamental contents but instead traps in it stale air.   The thickness of the bell jar glass prevents the prisoner from clearly seeing through distortion.   Sylvia Plath writes with extreme conviction, as The Bell Jar is essentially her autobiography.   The fitting title symbolizes not only her suffocation and mental illness, but also theRead MoreThe Bell Jar Analysis750 Words   |  3 Pagescoming-of-age period can challenging and painful. For Esther Greenwood in â€Å"The Bell Jar† by Sylvia Plath, however, coming-of-age is literally life-threatening. 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Depression is no novel mental illness-- between the multi-million dollar Cymbalta commercials and the movement to destigmatize mental illness as a whole, there are few who do not have at least a basic understanding of what the disorder entails for those thatRead MoreAnalysis Of The Opening Line Of The Bell Jar By Sylvia Plath2088 Words   |  9 PagesThe Girl in the Bell Jar It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didn t know what I was doing in New York (1; ch. 1), the opening line of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, effectively sets the tone for both the life of Plath and the remainder of the novel. Plath s depression and cynical outlook on life fueled the creation of many of her poems and novels, and particularly The Bell Jar in its autobiographical fictional genre. In this way, Sylvia Plath isRead MoreThe Bell Jar, by Sylvia Path and Lucy, by Jamaica Kincaid1837 Words   |  8 Pagesabuse that they will or have encountered. In novels, The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Path and Lucy, by Jamaica Kincaid both young women have the similarity to rebel against the cult of true women hood but do it in many different ways. In the novel, The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath the protagonist is named Esther Greenwood. Through the book Esther wonders if she should marry and live a conventional domestic life, or attempt to satisfy her ambition. Esther is from Massachusetts who goes to New York as a collegeRead MoreThe, Loss Suffered By Holden Acts As A Contributing Factor For His Inner Turmoil And Mental Illness2376 Words   |  10 Pagesahead is death. Therefore, loss endured by both Holden and Esther leads to their eventual depression and isolation from society. Furthermore, depression and isolation of characters also stems from failure in the academic sector. Initially, Esther was making huge progress in terms of her talented writing skills and was offered a range of literary opportunities growing up. Philomena Guinea- a famous author- acted as the benefactor funding Esther s college scholarship. However, Esther’s success was short-lived