Roberts 1

Hannah Roberts

Norton

M3

12-18-16

Autobiographical Elements in The Bell Jar

Sylvia Plaths writing is often associated with dark, violent, and almost disturbing

imagery and themes, and her first and only novel, The Bell Jar, is no exception to this. The Bell

Jar follows the story of Esther Greenwood, a young woman living in New York City, and her

struggles with mental illness throughout her life. Esther is more than a fictional character; her

story so closely mimics Plaths own life so much so that The Bell Jar is considered to be semi-

autobiographical by most. Everything from Esthers childhood to her college experiences to her

own mental illness are nearly identical to Plaths own ordeals.

The parallels between Esther and Plaths lives begin, fittingly, at birth; both were

born and raised in suburban Massachusetts. Both women lost their fathers at a young age,

leaving long-lasting psychological scars on them. I was only purely happy until I was nine years

old., Esther claims, after that- in spite of the girl scouts and piano lessons... all of which my

mother scrimped to give me.... I had never been really happy again. (Plath 39). Both character

and author are tied by their psychological desires- the death of their fathers signaled the end of

their happiness.

The connection between the two becomes even more obvious as Plath begins depicting

Esthers college life. The college Esther is accepted to is never named, but the similarities

between it and Plaths alma mater, Smith College, are uncanny. Both Plath and Esther were

awarded noteworthy scholarships and internships to a well-known magazine as a guest editor.

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Like Esther, Plath had also applied to a creative writing course over the summer only to be

turned down. Not long after this, both women became overwhelmed by their mental illness, they

crawled under their house where they would attempt suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills.

Plath, and Esther in turn, were sent to a therapist. The therapist suggested

electroshock therapy, but nothing improved; in fact, their depression worsened. The suicide

attempts become more frequent, first with Esther slashing her legs in her bathroom, then trying

to hang herself, and finally she attempts to drown herself. After this shes sent to the psychiatric

ward in the city hospital this proves no more helpful than the shock therapy. Its not until

Philomena Guiena, Esthers sponsor for her scholarship, or in Plaths case, Olive Higgins

Proutry, pays for her to be transported to a private hospital that anything improves. The book

closes with Esther leaving the hospital believing that her mental state is stable enough to return

to normal life; deep down, though, Esther fears that she is not forever cured. How did I know

that somedayat college, in Europe, somewhere, anywherethe bell jar, with its stifling

distortions, wouldnt descend again? (Plath 126).

On February 11, 1963 Sylvia Plath locked herself in her kitchen, stuffed the cracks under

the doors with wet rags, and committed suicide using her gas oven. Plath was only 30 at the time

of her death and left behind not only a husband, but two children as well. And with The Bell Jar

being so saturated with autobiographical elements, its easy for one to assume that Greenwoods

life eventually ends in a similar fashion.

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Works Cited

"Sylvia Plath". Poetry Foundation. N. p., 2016. Web. 18 Dec. 2016.

Beckmann, Leipzig Anja. "Sylvia Plath (1932-1963)." Sylvia Plath Homepage. N.p., n.d.

Web. 18 Dec. 2016.

Plath, Sylvia, Fran McCullough, and Lois Ames. The Bell Jar: A Novel. New York:
HarperPerennial, 2006. Print.