Comparing The Bell Jar And Into The Wild

Henry David Thoreau once wrote, “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured and far away” (Thoreau). Both Esther Greenwood of Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar and Christopher McClandless of John Kraukaer’s Into the Wild had their own “music” different than societies. This “music” lead to Esther’s suicide attempts and Christopher’s journey to Alaska. While media influences both Esther Greenwood’s and Chris Mcclandless’ withdrawal from society, Esther is primarily driven by the expectations of a 1950’s woman and Christopher the materialism of the 1980’s.
In Plath’s The Bell Jar, the media, most notably newspapers and photographs influences Esther to attempt suicide. After starting her internship in New York City, Esther immediately becomes enamored with the case of the Rosenbergs. The Rosenbergs were just electrocuted for espionage and prevalent throughout all news mediums. Esther becomes fascinated with being burned alive. Esther contemplates death by electrocution stating, “The idea of being electrocuted
From literature, newspapers, to even photos the thoughts and actions of others can have profound effects. Esther and Christopher both experienced this first hand. While media affected each of them, different facets of society affected their choices to leave. Esther never thought she could reconcile her dreams and the roles of a 1950’s woman. However, Chris was repulsed by the importance of materialism in society. He wanted to live a live that was true and pure. He lusted a sincere adventure something he didn’t believe was found in mainstream society. Over time, the roles of woman and materialism have changed. Many women now have successful careers. While, minimalistic life styles are growing in popularity. Perhaps the works of Plath and Krakauer have changed the expectations of