The Bell Jar
The Bell Jar is a story about a young woman named Esther Greenwood, who tries to do what she wants to do but is stifled by social pressures. It opens with her in New York, working as an intern for a glamorous publishing company. The publishing company, which is obviously based on Conde Nast, gives interns free theater tickets. Plath had interned at Conde Nast when she was a teenager, and this story captures the societal pressures that stifle young women.
Esther Greenwood
Throughout the novel, Esther encounters a wide variety of women who have various roles in society. Her encounters with Doreen are particularly interesting because she appears to be a very rebellious and confident young woman, the ideal type of girl Esther hopes to become. However, she realizes that her desire to be like her idol is not a healthy one. While she admires her beauty and personality, she also finds it hard to relate to her boyfriend, whose promiscuous behavior makes her uncomfortable.
Sylvia Plath
"The Bell Jar" is a semi-autobiographical novel by Sylvia Plath. It was first published in 1963 under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas. While Plath's life story and her experiences as a survivor of mental illness are part of the novel, there are also elements of the author's life that are fictional. The book's title hints at Plath's troubled childhood.
Esther Greenwood's stay in a psychiatric ward
The story is set during the summer of 1950 and follows Esther's return from an internship. When she is rejected from a writing course, she returns to her mother's house and decides to spend the summer writing the Great American Novel. As a result of her mental state, Esther has trouble sleeping and reading. She also struggles with extreme paranoia and begins to try to kill herself. When she is finally taken to a psychiatric ward, she tries various suicide methods and hides in a cellar under a breezeway. She also tries to hang herself but fails.
Structure of a bell jar
The structure of a bell jar is the open-top container with a lid that is often used in scientific laboratories. Its bottom is open, allowing light to pass through it. The jar is also often used to hold dust. Its open-top design makes it useful for laboratories. The lid is open at the bottom. To maintain a light vacuum, glass bell jars can be used to cover up dust.
Influence of McCarthyism on Plath's novel
Despite the political threats, Plath was determined to write about a happy life and human potential. She saw Cold War politics as the exact opposite. But McCarthyism wasn't the only factor in Plath's life. The author herself had suffered from the same political threats. During her time at Smith College in Massachusetts, Plath became involved in political activities and began writing about them. While she was studying there, McCarthyism had been on the rise.
