The "Bell Jar".
In Sylvia Plath's novel The Bell Jar, the metaphor of the bell jar really illustrates Esther's struggle to break free from both societal expectations and her internal struggles. The bell jar represents an invisible barrier a suffocating enclosure that separates Esther from the world, magnifying her sense of isolation and entrapment. She feels restrained by the rigid roles imposed upon her as young woman in the 1950s-the pressure to become a perfect woman. We noticed this when she is having a conversation with Jay Cee as she questions Esther about her career plans and pushes her to learn languages and hone her skills, it highlights the relentless pressure Esther feels to "be someone" in a way that others will approve of (Plath Chapter 4). This moment intensifies Esther's sense of being observed and judged, as if she is trapped under the glass of the bell jar, with Jay Cee and society peering in, assessing whether she measures up. .As Esther enters the mental hospital her journey becomes a crucial part of her confrontation with her inner issues with her identity. Initially she feels alienated by the clinical and impersonal nature of the treatment, and her skepticism toward the medical professionals is evident. She reflects on the doctors and their approaches, noting how detached and impersonal their treatment feels. Although through the mental hospital the Jar begins to start crack, "I took a deep breath and listened to the old bray of my heart. I am, I am, I am , I am." (Plath 214). Which signifies a moment of affirmation, as Esther recognizes that she exists--not just in the physical sense, but as someone capable of making decisions. She is able to acknowledge the importance of "I am" indicates a growing understanding of her desire to live life authentically. This is her attempt to finally break free from the societal and internal. Ultimately, the bell jar in The Bell Jar serves as a symbol of Esther's entrapment by both external societal pressures, her internal mental health issues, and finding her identity.
Hi Jessy, this was a great examination of the book's titular theme! I like how you go back to earlier in the book, before the metaphor of the bell jar was established, and analyze the entire story through that lens. You also did a great job highlighting Esther's development in self identity from the pressure to "be someone" to her acknowledging that "she is".
ReplyDeleteHi Jessy!! You did a great job with analyzing the connections between the Bell Jar and Esther's feelings towards society and herself. I think including the visual of a bell jar is a really interesting choice for writing about the feeling of being stuck, but as seen in the evidence you showed in your blog it makes sense for Plath to choose a bell jar (a uncommon object) to reflect Esther's unique struggles. Great blog!!
ReplyDeleteI like your take on the "I am, I am" heartbeat, which Esther mentions (significantly) in the context of Joan's funeral. But note that she refers to it as the "old BRAG" of her heart, not "bray," which is an interesting and ambiguous word choice--we recall that earlier in the narrative, Plath depicts Esther's awareness of her own relentless heartbeat in less positive terms, when she's attempting to drown herself, and she realizes that her body has a will to survive that she is unable to short-circuit. So there's a curious kind of "adversarial" relationship with her own heart, her own life-force, where the heart is "bragging" in a sense, gloating that it has "won." I agree that in the conspicuous presence of Joan's *stopped* heart, at the funeral, this "old brag" does represent an affirmation of life, an acceptance of existence, a new heightened awareness of her own status as a living person who will survive this ordeal. But it also reminds us how close Esther comes to NOT surviving her ordeal--her heart is still there, still reminding her (taunting her?) that she is alive.
ReplyDeleteThis is a thoughtful analysis of the bell jar as a symbol of Esther’s struggle with both societal expectations and her internal battles. The connection to Jay Cee highlights the pressure Esther feels to conform, which reinforces that feeling of being trapped. The cracking of the bell jar also shows her wanting to live authentically. Nice post!
ReplyDeleteHey Jessy, I liked how you address that Esther's path to recovery came more from her own acceptance of her issues and decision to confront them. I think that the most important part of being in the mental hospital was taking her away from her toxic situation in New York and Boston. The mental hospitals were able to "crack" the bell jar around her because they gave her a place to think about more than just her academic worries.
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