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Maggie McConnell
Ms. Dockus
1st Hour American Literature
16 February 2016
Response to The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Very rarely do people stay on one path their entire lives. Often, the discovery of new
paths, and the decision to follow them, constitutes major changes in our lives. Sylvia Plath tells
the story of one womans change of direction in her book, The Bell Jar. Many regard Plaths only
published novel as a haunting, and often disturbing, tale of the effects of and the descent into
mental illness. However, depending on how one approaches the piece, he or she can find a more
profound commentary on how Esther Greenwood is reborn on to a new path after working
through her worst bout of difficulties. Despite the depths of her depression, she can still [take] a
deep breath and [listen] to the old brag of [her] heart. I am, I am, I am (243).
Esthers hesitations with these paths is evident when she
[Sees] [herself] sitting in the crotch of [a] fig tree, starving to death, just because
[she] [cant] make up [her] mind which of the figs she would choose. [She]
[wants] each and every one of them, but choosing one [means] losing all the rest,
and, as [she] [sits] there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go
black . (77)
However, before she enters the final council that will decide whether or not she will be
readmitted to the outside world, Esther contemplates the discovery of a new life. These thoughts
are most evidently pointed towards the discovery of a renewed identity when Esther decides
there ought,..., to be a ritual for being born twice- patched, retreaded and approved for the road

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(244). Esthers discussion of such a ritual leads me to believe, despite doubt of others, that Esther
truly finds a way off the path that led her to such a dark, unforgiving place. In lieu of its
reputation as a comprehensively negative book, I find that The Bell Jar shows how hope can be
found in the discovery of new passages.
I believe that there are always many paths, or options, available to an individual besides
the one he or she currently follows. The ability to discover these paths is largely what decides the
direction of ones life. Beyond discovering these paths, however, there is also the ability to
choose to leave an old one. When Esther acquires both of these abilities, she achieves both
recovery and rebirth. Self discovery can teach us not only about how our lives are in the present,
but also how they could be in the future.