PlotOverview

TheBellJarcapturesthestoryof
EstherGreenwoodthatworksasan
internatawomensmagazineinNew
YorkCitywhereshegainsopportunities
toattendpartiesandearnfreegifts.
Whileitseemslikeherlifeshowsas
perfect,shehappenstobeveryunhappy
withherself.Shesnotsatisfiedbywhat
shedoes.Toaddtothatshefeelslike
societyjudgeseverymoveshemakes.
Whilesheoccurstobeunhappy,she
returnshomeinBostonwhileshedeals
withadifficultrelationshipwithher
mother.Thenshefindsherselfgetting
rejectedfromherdreamcollegethat
carriesabrilliantcreativewriting
programthatkillsherselfesteem.She
alsobecomesverydepressed.Asthe
summergoeson,herbehaviorbecomes
abnormalandshelosesmorehopein
herself.Sheattemptsdifferentabusive
actionsandasthestorygoeson,it
showshowpeopleincludingdoctors,
tripstodifferenthospitalsand
institutionsattempttohelpherthrough
herdepressionandproblemsandifshe
willchangeforthebetterorforthe
worse.

AbouttheAuthor

NovelNotes

TheBellJar

SylviaPlath

SylviaPlathwasbornonOctober27,

1932,inBostonMassachusetts.eversince
herchildhoodPlathhasadesiretosucceed.
Sincetheageofeleven,shehaskepta
journalwhereshewritesherpoemsthatlater
onhavebeenpublishedinmagazinesand
newspapers.Herfirstnationalpublication
wasintheChristianScienceMonitorin
1950.In1963happenstobewhenshe
publishedthissemiautobiographicalnovel.
ThenonFebruary11,1963,Plathwrotea
shortlettertoherneighbortoaskhimtocall
adoctor.Afterthat,shecommittedsuicide
withagasoven.

HistoricalContext

AngelValdez

EssentialQuotes

Tothepersoninthebelljar,blankand
stoppedasadeadbaby,theworlditselfisthe
baddream(Plath193).

HowdidIknowthatsomedayatcollege,in
Europe,somewhere,anywherethebelljar,
withitsstiflingdistortions,wouldntdescend
again?(197).

Inthebeginningofthenoveltheauthor
referstooneofthemostimportanteventsin
history.TheexecutionoftheRosenbergs.In
1950,theRosenbergswerearrestedfor
beingspiesofrussia.Oneyearlaterin1951,
theRosenbergswerefoundguiltyand
sentencedtodeath.ThentheRosenbergs

wereexecutedatSingSungprisoninNew
AddWorkCitedHere:
York.Alsothenovelbasicallybrieflytells

thelifestoryofSylviaPlathandher
Plath,Sylvia.
TheBellJar.
NewYork:Harper&
childhood.Italsotellshowshegotajob
Row,1971.Print.

opportunitytobeaninterninNewYork
.A&ENetworksTelevision.Web.29
Cityandtheproblemsofdepressionshehad Bio.com
Dec.2015.

toface.

CharacterAnalysis

Themes
.

GrowingthroughPainandRebirthThe

Estherappearstobetheoppositeof
BelljartellsthestoryofEstherGreenwood
whatsocietyexpectshertobebygoing growingup,butnotinanormalway.She
throughadrasticchange.Shehada
growstobecomeveryunhappywithherself.
dark,melancholypersonality.Associety Estherratherdiethanliveafakelifehaving
toexplainyourselfwithoutbeingjudgedin
startstoaffecthermoreandmore,she
society.Asshebeginstoexittheinstitution,
startstoloseherselfthroughallthe
shedescribesherselfaspatched,retreaded
madnessandjustdoesntknowwhats
goingonanymore.Alsobecauseofher andapprovedfortheroad(199).

mentalillness,shedoesntknowthe
TheGapbetweenUsualExpectations
affecthersuicideattemptshavehadon
Societydescribespeoplethatarethesame
hermotherandtheotherpeoplearound ageasEsthertobehappy,confident,and
herwhocareabouther.Besidesthe
bubbly.Estherfeelstheopposite.Shefeels
illness,whenshehappenstobeherself, unhappy,gloomy,andlostofhope.Withthis
Estherbecomeswelldescribedasvery
feeling,shebeingtoattempttocommit
kindandpoetic.Toaddtothat,Esther
suicideanddoesn'twanttobeinthissociety
anymore.
occurstobecommittedtoherstudies

andmotivatedtoachieveacademic

success.Everychapterofthisnovel
representsanewlevelofherincreasing TheRoleofWomenin1950Estherssense
ofsocietyremindsheroftheexpectationsof
mentalillness.Thenaftersuchan
ayoungwomenlivingin1950sin
amountoftime,Estherwascapable
America..Havingtheneedtogetmarried
handletakingcareofherselfandbeing andstartafamily,whichhappenstobewhat
abletoleavethementalinstitutionand EstherStrugglesbetweenthatandherdesire
gohomesafely.
towrite.

MotifsandSymbols
Motifs:
NewsandfashionMediaEstherfinds
herinterestslikemotherhood,the
executionoftheRosenbergs,andthe
valuesofAmericain1950through
newspaperheadings,andmagazines.

MirrorsEstherconstantlydoesnt
recognizeherself.Forexample,she
didntrecognizeherselfintheelevator
doorsafterthedinnerwithDoreenand
Lenny.Alsoshedoesntrecognizeher
beatupfaceaftersheattemptsto
commitsuicide.

Symbols:
TheBellJarTheBellJarrepresents
madness.ForEsthershefeelsasshe
appearstobetrappedinsideanairless
jarappearstobeoutofshapebasedon
theworldandthatoccurstobewhyshe
doesntinteractwiththepeoplearound
her.

TheBeatingHeartWhenEsther
attemptstocommitsuicide,sherealizes
thatherbodyhoweverwantstolive.
ThebeatingHeartsymbolizesherbodily
desireforlife.