A review by ogbergerking
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

3.25

i had read this first back when i was entering high school, & thought it was a good time to revisit roughly a decade later. 

the bell jar is definitely of its time, & although plath was relatively progressive in her views regarding feminism, it is hard to disregard the blatant racism & underlying homophobic themes. despite her being alive & writing during the civil rights era, it is clear from this work as well as her others that she was not quite as progressive as she seemed. 

that being said, i find it important to separate the artist from the art—to a degree. i found esther self centered, egotistical, annoying, & quite frankly whiny. she often didn’t advocate for herself & just allowed bad experiences to happen, despite having a plethora of options. 

i understand why so many who struggle with mental illness flock to this; plath’s writing is lovely, & when she touches on themes regarding mental health, she expresses them in a way only she can since she experienced them herself. however, expressing them through esther left more to be desired than gained. 

i don’t think i need to read this again. if anything, it just made me more depressed, & i can do that on my own, thanks.