What was The Bell Jar about?
The Bell Jar details the life of Esther Greenwood, a college student who dreams of becoming a poet. She is selected for a month-long summer internship as a guest editor of Ladies' Day magazine, but her time in New York City is unfulfilling as she struggles with issues of identity and societal norms.
What mental illness is in The Bell Jar?
The Bell Jar is a 1963 novel by Sylvia Plath describing the decline of main character Esther into a depressive episode and her stay in a psychiatric ward. Plath herself had recurrent depression and was hospitalised for this. She completed suicide a month after the book's publication.
What is The Bell Jar a metaphor for?
In The Bell Jar, the main character uses the bell jar as the primary metaphor for feelings of confinement and entrapment. She feels that she's stuck in her own head, spinning around the same thoughts of self-doubt and dejection, over and over again, with no hope of escape.
Is The Bell Jar inappropriate?
'Sylvia Plath's only novel, The Bell Jar, has, on several occasions, been on banned book lists. […] Well, the first reason is due to the suicidal tendencies and attempted suicide scene. It has been said that some find it inappropriate to read about for it may entice readers to do the same.
Why was Esther bleeding in The Bell Jar?
When she loses her virginity, she bleeds so copiously that she must seek medical attention. The presence of blood suggests a ritual sacrifice: Esther will sacrifice her body for peace of mind, and sacrifice her virginity for the sake of experience.
What mental illness does Esther Greenwood have?
psychotic depression Esther's development of psychotic depression is Plath's interpretation of the classic “rite of passage” journey. The bell jar of confusion that descends on Esther hampers her personal progress, yet it protects her from being overwhelmed by a highly competitive social world.
What happens to Esther at the end of the book?
The novel ends with Esther entering a conference with her doctors, who will decide whether she can leave the hospital and return to school. It is suggested near the beginning of the novel that, in later years, Esther goes on to have a baby.