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A review by notnoni
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
4.0
On a craft level alone, its brilliant. Plath's inertia is palpable from the opening of the novel. Her descent into the depths of depression and suicidal ideation felt visceral without feeling sensationalized. I'm reminded of why studying her poetry during my A-Levels only served to exacerbate my own struggles with alienation, imposter syndrome, and what seemed like a cycle of never-ending woe.
However, and this however is IMPORTANT, Plath is really fucking, aggressively racist. Esther's entire time in New York is full of her making WASP-ish judgements on people based on their country of origin. When Esther is hospitalised, an entire passage is written just to mock and ridicule a Black orderly in the most minstrel manner possible.
Discourse surrounding The Bell Jar often praises it for being a seminal work of mid 20th century feminist literature because of Esther's desire for independence and a personal career. Yet, not a peep is made about the rampant racism in the book which makes the experience jarring and distasteful (to say the least). Because its not like Plath wants us to dislike Esther, its because Plath is Esther and is speaking through her with a painful lack of self-awareness. Or awareness of the wider world around her. Maybe she is aware, but simply doesn't care. She did write this during the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, but maybe her hatred for Black people just superseded everything.
I get why she's so beloved amongst liberal feminists, ig.
However, and this however is IMPORTANT, Plath is really fucking, aggressively racist. Esther's entire time in New York is full of her making WASP-ish judgements on people based on their country of origin. When Esther is hospitalised, an entire passage is written just to mock and ridicule a Black orderly in the most minstrel manner possible.
Discourse surrounding The Bell Jar often praises it for being a seminal work of mid 20th century feminist literature because of Esther's desire for independence and a personal career. Yet, not a peep is made about the rampant racism in the book which makes the experience jarring and distasteful (to say the least). Because its not like Plath wants us to dislike Esther, its because Plath is Esther and is speaking through her with a painful lack of self-awareness. Or awareness of the wider world around her. Maybe she is aware, but simply doesn't care. She did write this during the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, but maybe her hatred for Black people just superseded everything.
I get why she's so beloved amongst liberal feminists, ig.