Scan barcode
A review by bookgirllife
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Bell Jar is a novel that needs no introduction. It follows the coming-of-age and coming apart of Esther Greenwood as she descends into a mental breakdown. I had wanted to read this book for years and never quite felt ready to take it on. I think I always knew this would be a challenging read for me, but my God was it worth it. The Bell Jar is an interesting look at the inner workings of how mental health and mental illness affect women in and around their 20s when we are supposedly at our peak. I hesitate to use the word ‘enjoyed’ for a book that deals (semi-autobiographically) with such heavy themes and melancholy atmospheres, but it's a classic for a reason. Slyvia Plath poured so much nuanced emotion into this novel and I’m glad I finally got around to reading it.
It is doubtless that Plath is a master wordsmith and The Bell Jar leaves no room for argument on that front. Plath intertwines poetic writing into prose seamlessly. I think that while I definitely saw parts of myself in the character of Esther, Plath’s writing is where I truly felt seen. There was something almost unsettlingly satisfying about the beautiful way Plath describes dark emotion. The use of first-person narrative in this almost stream-of-consciousness-like storytelling worked really well for this novel and its themes. While I, personally, found the pace of the book to be quite slow, which made it hard to get into straight away, I also believe the pacing was intentional and used as a tool to build the gloomy feeling that the novel is saturated in. As the story unfolds further, I wouldn’t say the pace picks up but that we get accustomed to it, mirroring how Esther becomes accustomed to her declining mental health as a part of her identity.
Esther’s mental health is her defining character trait, and in a character-driven novel, everything is a reflection of that. From the very start, despite the glamorous lifestyle Esther leads in New York and all the ‘success’ she has accumulated, we never get the feeling that she is content with her life. Much to the contrary, even Esther is aware of the emptiness within herself. At first, it seems she cannot make sense of it but as the novel progresses, she comes to accept this as a part of her identity and holds it up as a shield against a world that does not understand her. What I really liked about the characterisation of Esther is that she never feels like an exaggeration at any stage of her mental breakdown.
I really liked all the themes Plath explores in The Bell Jar but one of the most interesting, to me personally, was the discussions of the concept of feminity and the way that attributed to Esther’s mental health. Esther rejects the social conventions of womanhood pertaining to the roles of wife and mother. Plath addresses the double standard that is placed upon women to be caregivers and to be self-sacrificial in the name of marriage and motherhood. This, at the time, common concept that women cannot have it all and that she would inevitably have to give up her career for the sake of her marriage and children challenges Esther’s sense of identity and individuality, which is a contributing factor to her mental decline. The ‘bell jar’ is a symbol of suffocation and entrapment by societal norms. Esther sees and participates in society and is both removed from it and trapped within it. She feels she cannot lead the life she wants and wants not to live the life she feels she must at all.
It is doubtless that Plath is a master wordsmith and The Bell Jar leaves no room for argument on that front. Plath intertwines poetic writing into prose seamlessly. I think that while I definitely saw parts of myself in the character of Esther, Plath’s writing is where I truly felt seen. There was something almost unsettlingly satisfying about the beautiful way Plath describes dark emotion. The use of first-person narrative in this almost stream-of-consciousness-like storytelling worked really well for this novel and its themes. While I, personally, found the pace of the book to be quite slow, which made it hard to get into straight away, I also believe the pacing was intentional and used as a tool to build the gloomy feeling that the novel is saturated in. As the story unfolds further, I wouldn’t say the pace picks up but that we get accustomed to it, mirroring how Esther becomes accustomed to her declining mental health as a part of her identity.
Esther’s mental health is her defining character trait, and in a character-driven novel, everything is a reflection of that. From the very start, despite the glamorous lifestyle Esther leads in New York and all the ‘success’ she has accumulated, we never get the feeling that she is content with her life. Much to the contrary, even Esther is aware of the emptiness within herself. At first, it seems she cannot make sense of it but as the novel progresses, she comes to accept this as a part of her identity and holds it up as a shield against a world that does not understand her. What I really liked about the characterisation of Esther is that she never feels like an exaggeration at any stage of her mental breakdown.
I really liked all the themes Plath explores in The Bell Jar but one of the most interesting, to me personally, was the discussions of the concept of feminity and the way that attributed to Esther’s mental health. Esther rejects the social conventions of womanhood pertaining to the roles of wife and mother. Plath addresses the double standard that is placed upon women to be caregivers and to be self-sacrificial in the name of marriage and motherhood. This, at the time, common concept that women cannot have it all and that she would inevitably have to give up her career for the sake of her marriage and children challenges Esther’s sense of identity and individuality, which is a contributing factor to her mental decline. The ‘bell jar’ is a symbol of suffocation and entrapment by societal norms. Esther sees and participates in society and is both removed from it and trapped within it. She feels she cannot lead the life she wants and wants not to live the life she feels she must at all.
Another interesting theme to me was the discussion of mental healthcare in the 50s. The poor and prejudiced treatment of patients suffering from mental illnesses was sure to further contribute to the deterioration of the patient’s mental health. I think reading this book now was very pertinent as I’m currently in therapy myself and have been treated with much more compassion and empathy than Esther (and by extension Plath) had been.
While this novel ends on a hopeful note, there is a lingering heaviness to it. I felt that this was Plath perhaps channeling her hopes of recovery onto her main character. I also feel that recovery often comes with a looming feeling of despair to it. When you’ve struggled with mental health concerns most of your life, you don’t fully trust recovery. It sometimes feels like it's only better until it isn’t again. I think Plath captured that feeling perfectly in the ending.
While this novel ends on a hopeful note, there is a lingering heaviness to it. I felt that this was Plath perhaps channeling her hopes of recovery onto her main character. I also feel that recovery often comes with a looming feeling of despair to it. When you’ve struggled with mental health concerns most of your life, you don’t fully trust recovery. It sometimes feels like it's only better until it isn’t again. I think Plath captured that feeling perfectly in the ending.
While parts of The Bell Jar were difficult to read, I think it's a worthwhile read for young women or anyone that has struggled with mental health.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, and Suicide