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ReviewofPersonalReading"TheBellJar"BySylviaPlath "TheBellJar"wasthefirstnovelthatSylviaPlathwroteinhershortwritingcareer.Thenovelisasemiautobiographicalaccountofayounggirl'sdescentintodepression."TheBell Jar"inmanywaysmirrorstheexperiencesthatPlathencounteredduringherownbreakdownandtreatment.UnfortunatelyPlathlostherbattlewithdepressionwhichresultedirrsuicide.In
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TheBellJar"gaveafrankandconvincinginsightintothemindofthementally
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TheplotcentersonayoungwomancalledEstherGreenwood.Esthe!\triptoNewYork.On
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returningfromthistrip,shesuffersatotalmentalbreakdown.Afterafaile~suicideattempt
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sheisadmittedtoseveraldifferentmentalinstitutionswhereshe
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subjectedtoelectrotherapy.
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AlthoughweareledtobelievethatEsthereventuallyrecovers'butlaterwhenIwasallright
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again"wearegivennoclearindicationastowhenthisis.ThebookendsasEstherisaboutto
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haveherreleasereviewed,wearenottoldexactlywhathappens.Insteadthereaderisleftto
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makeuphis/herownmind.I~thissymbolisedEsther'sownuncertaintyaboutthe future."TheBellJar"doesnotjustgiveaninsightintoafictionalcharacter,,;,,}allowsthe
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readertoseeintothemindofitswriter.IfeelPlathhadagreatdealtosayaboutmentalillness\
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andsociety'sattitudetowardsit.Therefore,Iintendtodiscuss\teextenttowhichthepeople
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inE~thef"!'!lifecontributedtoherbreakdown.
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Thetitle"TheBellJar"straightawaygivesanindicationofthebook'ssubjectmatter.Abell /jarcreatesanenvironmentallofitsown.Thereisabarrierbetweentheairinsideandtheair
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outside,itcreatesanisolatedworld.Thisiswhathappensduringdepression,thedepressed
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personisinaworldalloftheirown.Theyareunabletoconnectwithsocietyinanyway.
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They,too,arecompletelyisolatedfromtheoutsideworld.Thisiswhatmakesthesettingof
 
thecentreofNewYorkparticularlyironicinmyopinion.NewYorkisasocialcentre,fullof peopleandsociety.IthinkperhapsPlathchoseNewYorkasitmakesEsther'sgrowing
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isolationfromsocietyevenmoreapparent.Estherisalreadydepressedtoadegreewhenshe /'arrivesinNewYork."Ifeltverystillandveryempty,thewaytheeyeofatornadomustfeel, ~=~:e~u:::~~=;I:~~IOO."However,\~~:d~~essed, shecanstillconnectwiththeoutsideworldifshehasto."Isteppedbackintomyroomand shutthedoor.Onsecondthoughts,Ididn'tlockit.Icouldn'tquitebringmyselftodothat."~ PlathusesthecharactersaroundEstherandherinteractionwiththem,toillustrateEsther's'"_.,
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gradualbreakdown.Forinstance,Esther'sreactionstoS~everydifferenttothe reactionsshehast08DoreenisdrawntoEstherbecausesheissofarremovedfromthe falsesocietythatBetsyandtheothergirlslivein."Asifallthepeopleherewereprettysilly
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andshecouldtellsomegoodjokesonthemifshewanted."Betsyistheepitomeofthesociety inwhichEsthercannotfunction."Betsywasalwaysaskingmetodothingswithherandthe othergirlsasifsheweretryingtosavemeinsomeway."ItisunderstandablethatEsther
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wouldnotwishtosurroundherselfwithpeoplelikeBetsy,whoisveryfalseandsuperficial. "TheyimportedBetsystraightfromKansaswithherbouncingblondeponytailandSweetheart- of-Sigma-Chismile."HoweveritisobviousthatEstherisinrealtroublewhenshecanno longerfaceDoreenwho,previously,hadmadeherfeelsogoodaboutherself-"beingwithDoreenmademeforgetaboutmyworries."Esther'sbreakdownclimaxesinNewYorkwhen shethrowsawaytheentirecontentsofherwardrobethenightbeforesheleaves.Ifeelthatthis symbolisesEsthergivingupallhopeandsuccumbingtoherdepression."Ifedmywardrobeto thenightwindandfluttering,likelovedone's_~,,thescrapswereferriedoff,tosettlehere,
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there,exactlywhereIwouldneverknow,inthedarkheartofNewYork."
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"TheBellJar"istoldinthefirstpersonandthroughflashback.Thisstylisticfeatureis
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extremelyimportantasweareonlyhearingEsther'ssideofthestory:...,!hisemphasisesher
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isolationfromsociety.Thestoryconstantlychangesfrompresenttimetosomeincidentinthe
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past~thinkthatthisreflectsEsther'sownramblingmind.Throughthenumerousflashbacks/' welearnagreatdealaboutEsther'sbackgroundandupbringing.ItbecomesapparentEsther hasgraduallybecomemoreandmoredissatisfiedwithlifeeversinceherfatherdied."I thoughtitstrangehowithadneveroccurredtomebeforethatIwasonlypurelyhappyuntilI wasnineyearsold."ThisdissatisfactionhascontinuedtohauntEsther,nomatterhowgood
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somethinglooksatfirst'alwaysturnouttobeflawed.ThereisnobetteranexampleofthisthanthedisillusiomntsheencounterswithBuddyWillard.Buddyatfirstseemsthemanof
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herdreamsbutthercannotdealwiththefactthatheisnotperfect,heisinfactonlyhuman->"•
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''WhatIcouldn'tstandwasBuddy'spretendingIwassosexyandhewasso
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onlyBuddyshehasbecomedisillusionedwith;Ifee~wholeinc~bolisesEsther's~
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disillusionmentwithlifeingeneral.Thesamethinghappenswithcollege.Afterworkinghard,
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allherlifetogoawaytocollege,shearrivesandfindsthatyetagainshedoesnotfitin,allthe
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ideasanddreamsshehadarenowshattered."Ijuststudiedtoohard,Ididn'tknowwhento stop."DespitethescholarshipandawardsEstherstillfeel"inadequate",nomatterwhatshe
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doessheisnotsatisfied."ThetroublewasIhadbeeninadequateallalong,Isimplyhadn'tthoughtaboutit."IthinkthatPlathisblamingsociety,ithascontinuallyfailedtoofferEsther
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nythingthatcansatisfyherexpectations,whyshouldshebeapartofit?Bygivingexamples
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ofEsther'spreviousdisappointmentsPlathisemphasisingthe.cumulativeeffectthatsocietyhashadonEsther.Esther'ssuicideattemptalsocontinuestoemphasisethenegativeeffectthatsocietyhashadon
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her.ThesuicidenotonlytellsusthatEstherhadlostallwilltolivebu~ewayshetriesto /killherselfisalsoverysignificant.Esthertriestooverdoseonsleepingpillsandhides downstairsinthebasementwherenoonecanfindher.ThisshowsjusthowisolatedEstherhasbecome,evenindeathshefeelsshehastohideawayfromsociety.Inmyopinionthesuicide
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