The Bell Jar

The Bell Jar

Sylvia Plath’s, The Bell Jar, tells the story of a young woman in search of her identity during a time of conformity in the 1950’s. This young woman, Esther Greenwood, represents Plath herself and explains her own story as she descends into “madness”, otherwise known today as depression. Since the story was written during the 1950’s, there are some things that may seem somewhat outdated. However, one can still relate to Plath’s story in many ways even today. Like any other novel written in the past, the reader must transport themselves into that time period to be able to fully appreciate the story.
The reader may find it interesting to envision how society viewed depression at that time and how it was treated. It is also interesting to see how the time period and society one lives in can greatly influence one’s emotions and decisions in their life. If Esther had lived in today’s society, it is likely she would not have experienced such a deep depression or struggled as much as she did in her life. Today’s society allows women to have a successful career as well as a family. The choice is theirs. In the 1950’s, there was great pressure for women to settle down and have a family, rather than a career. Esther did not want to live the expected role of wife and mother, but wanted to be a poet. “So I began to think maybe it was true that when you were married and had children it was like being brainwashed, and afterward you went about as numb as a slave in a totalitarian state.” (Plath 69). Esther imagined that the only way she could play this wife and mother role would be if she were “brainwashed” into it, doing what society dictated while living a numb and unfulfilled life. This expectation brought more stress into Esther’s life, forcing her to furthermore doubt herself, deepening her depression. Today in the twenty-first century, Esther would have been diagnosed with depression and received treatment much different than in the 1950’s. Medication available today could have helped rid her of this depression and her desire to commit suicide. Because depression is still a major illness, almost every reader today can understand and relate to The Bell Jar in some way. Most people, at some point during their life, have experienced depression or anxiety due to the everyday pressures of today’s world. Many decide to get treatment, while others sit in a “Bell Jar” like Esther contemplating suicide.
There are other elements of The Bell Jar which could be considered universal and interesting to readers today. Young women can especially understand and relate to Esther as she develops into a mature adult. The anxiety she feels about losing her virginity, her relationships with men, friendships and the many roles women are expected to play are things most young women feel concerned about. Reading The Bell Jar helps us understand that these problems are “normal. We must make choices in life, right or wrong, and suffer the consequences. Esther states, “I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story… I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn't make up my mind which of the figs I would choose.” (Plath 62-63) Esther’s inability to deal with the many choices she faces causes her to fall into “madness”. However, Plath’s sarcasm and subtle humor about making these choices throughout the novel helps us to laugh at times. The reader may also see a mirror vision of themselves as a teenager growing into a mature adult, making The Bell Jar interesting to read.
The Bell Jar should not be considered irrelevant to twenty-first century readers, but more of a historical account of mental illness and depression in the 1950’s. Although I found The Bell Jar to be rather depressing, it was interesting and I was able to put myself in Esther’s shoes in many parts of the story. I did not feel Esther was “mad” but rather someone who had too much conflict within herself about her life choices, finding herself smothering in “The Bell Jar”. I was surprised to find out later that Plath herself did end up committing suicide, since the book seemed to end on a more positive note. However, as Esther had mentioned, there was always the possibility that the “Bell Jar” could again descend around her at any time. I couldn’t help but wonder if writing this story many have worsened Plath’s own depression, pushing her over the edge.