Picture via The Lisa Simpson Book Club

The Bell Jar

I’ve been meaning to read this for months. I’d been loaned a copy by a friend when I complained to her that I don’t read enough books written by women (which might not show so much in the reviews so far, but then, I have been trying to equalize my reading habits for some time now).

In brief, Sylvia Plath’s only novel is enchanting. I couldn’t really put it down. It is upsetting at times, it is enormously charming, and most of all it is an intelligent critique of what society can do to the dreams and aspirations of young people, and how easily we marginalize others, particularly women.

We meet the protagonist, Esther Greenwood, as she is in the middle of a prize internship at a New York based fashion magazine. Slowly we witness her falling into depression as she is disillusioned by the world around her, by her friends, by her coworkers. This leads to a suicide attempt, and later to hospitalization at a psychiatric institution. Everywhere, Esther encounters two problems: adults (or perhaps rather, proper adults given Esther’s youth) and boys.

The adults in the novel don’t take her seriously. Her mother largely ignores her daughter, her boss merely attempts to mould her into a copy of herself, her first psychiatrist doesn’t quite see a problem with her, or perhaps he just thinks she’s faking. The men and boys she interacts with all seem to just treat her as an accessory. Her ‘boyfriend’, Buddy, considers her aspirations a trifle compared to his own. He never takes her seriously as a person. The few friends she has all seem to want her to be someone who she isn’t. All of this leads to a sense of alienation which appears to be the primary symptom and cause of her depression.

A comparison might be made between the Bell Jar and the Catcher In The Rye. I feel that both books aimed at a similar point. They both wanted to show how young people could be marginalized by society, how there is a disconnect between them and the society they find themselves in, and perhaps how their own aspirations are set aside by those who feel they know better. I feel the Bell Jar is much more successful in achieving this. Where Holden Caulfield seems to be an over-privileged arrogant boy, Esther reveals herself to be a charming, intelligent and critical young woman who wants to make the best of her privileges (and is very aware of them) but can’t for various reasons. It’s not that hard to grow up a wealthy white boy, Holden. Nobody ever questions any of your choices, and in the Catcher In The Rye there are several instances of Holden being encouraged in whatever he says his aspirations are, even when they are pretty outlandish. He was simply ungrateful and bored. Esther is the polar opposite. She doesn’t come from wealth, and has to work for her achievements. They are considerable, and yet, despite the evidence of her capacities she keeps coming up short in the eyes of others. Somehow she is seen as less capable.

The Bell Jar is one of the novels I feel everyone should read. It’s an engaging and beautifully written account of growing up in a society where you are seen as worse for no good reason. It is a very immersive account of depression. And most importantly perhaps, it is simply a great story.

Get The Bell Jar on Amazon or on Book Depository