The Bell Jar Essay - 1901 Words

Depression is a serious, but common mental illness the negatively affects the way a person acts, feels, and thinks. Depression can cause sadness, or a lose of interest in something they enjoyed doing before. It can also cause a person s ability to work, and affect a person physically and emotionally. Some people describe depression feels as though they are standing under a floor of glass, screaming, and banging to try to get the attention of the outside world, but they go about their lives without you. The problem is no one knows you’re trapped, or can even hear you. There are many times throughout the novel, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, that Esther Greenwood feel similar to this. The protagonist, Esther, is a nineteen year old†¦show more content†¦Because she is now out of school and introduced to the business world, she is starting to recognize that all of her past successes are meaningless to this bigger community. She is also beginning to realize now that all of the hard work she put into school never made her happy, and is now left questioning what brings her happiness. Esther has always had a plan for her future, and the fact that she’s unsure of it now makes her more terrified than ever. Later in the book, Esther decides to quit her internship, because of her confusion. Since she now has no plan for the future, she sees no reason to stay at the internship, because it’s only making her feel worse. For the remaining summer, she decides to go back home. Just after she arrives home, she receives a letter addressing that she didn’t make it into a writing course she had earlier applied for, for college. Esther was really hoping she would make that writing course, and because of the rejection, it causes her to feel inadequate, and even more depressed about her future. This event causes Esther to isolate herself in her room, away from everyone, and all of her problems. â€Å"I crawled back into my bed and pul led the sheet over my head. But even that didn’t shut off the light, so I buried my head under the darkness of the pillow and pretended it was night. I couldn’t see the point in getting up. I had nothing to look forward to† (131).Show MoreRelated The Bell Jar Essay1254 Words   |  6 PagesThe Bell Jar Peoples lives are shaped through their success and failure in their personal relationships with each other. The author Sylvia Plath demonstrates this in the novel, The Bell Jar. This is the direct result of the loss of support from a loved one, the lack of support and encouragement, and lack of self confidence and insecurity in Esthers life in the The Bell Jar. It was shaped through her success and failures in her personal relationships between others and herself. ThroughRead MoreThe Bell Jar Essay858 Words   |  4 PagesThe Bell Jar as a Controlling Image in The Bell Jar Sylvia Plaths The Bell Jar contains a constant reference to a bell jar that acts as a controlling image. The bell jar in the novel controls the novel in three ways. It acts as a symbol for the depression that Esther Greenwood, the central character, experiences. It also serves as a metaphor for her. Finally, it is the very illusion that drives her into depression. Esther Greenwood works for a fashion magazine in New York and lives a dreamRead MoreThe Bell Jar Themes Essay925 Words   |  4 PagesThe themes in The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath, are portrayed through Esther’s unique characteristics. Sylvia’s life experiences and personality contribute to these themes: growth through pain, the emptiness of conventional expectations, and the restricted role of women during the 1950’s. Esther must battle through several obstacles in order to move on with her life. 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In the novel The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, Esther Greenwood is a character whose heightened and highly emotional response to events, actions and sentiments (Assignment sheet) intrigue the reader. One of her character traits is extreme paranoia that is shown in different situations throughout the novel. As a resultRead MoreDid Esther Trap Herself in The Bell Jar? Essay1599 Words   |  7 PagesThe Bell Jar is an autobiography of a female sophomore. The girl-Esther, who is 19 years old, came from suburban area of Boston. As she had talent writing skills, she was invited to New York to serve as guest editor in a national fashion magazine office. In her one-month stay in New York, on one hand, Esther was cautious and conscientious to learn from an able and efficient female editor-Jay Cee, and she dreamt to follow Jay Cee’s successf ul step. 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