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A review by literaturewill
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
3.0
“the trouble was, i had been inadequate all along, i simply hadn't thought about it.”
would like to start off by saying that one can't simply discuss the literary discourse without pointing out the problematic aspects of it. as a woc, this book is straight up full of disgusting words/thoughts/actions that for me, put it in the not a 'required reading' unlike what many think of it.
just because it is of a certain era, as people like to state to defend the glaring racism, homophobia and fatphobia in the book, doesn't mean i'm supposed to turn a blind eye and only focus on the aspects i like.
that being said, i'm pretty sure something can't be a feminist read if it doesn't fulfill all criterias.
“the more hopeless you were, the further away they hid you.”
esther is an ambitious woman. she wants to achieve, she doesn't know exactly what but she works towards it relentlessly so it seems easy to her but it's because she has nothing else going on in her life.
she can't end this race to the 'something,' because if not that then what? she isn't getting joy out of them like she states. the last time she felt happy was when she was running on the beach with her father as a nine year old.
her very first act of acknowledging her declining mental health was when she moved into her mother's home and gave up on this personal ambition. she dropped out and couldn't even write a page to save the day. this resonated with me more than i'd like to admit...
“i was supposed to be having the time of my life.”
the writing gets dull at times but it is so engaging that it was hard to put down the book. her slowly descending to well... madness is to me, just as getting to know her more and more intimately.
i don't think she was any 'better,' at the very start. we just started to get to know her better and she became more vulnerable and got triggered more easily, that is probably why it seems like it escalated.
“i felt wise and cynical as all hell.”
i get the feminist aspect though, the protagonist is going through the struggle of trying to fit into one of the roles made up by the society for women to fit into. she has arranged her friends into the same but goes through a hard time picking one for herself.
esther makes some compelling cases but could never fit into any of the stereotypes she had in mind for women around her. maternal, sexual and intellectual.
her obsession with purity was infuriating at first but when you understand that this is a struggle that women go through, to this day, you understand how it's actually pretty realistic. (not to say i agree with any of her views. gag.)
at last, i'd like to add that the mirror scenes are disgusting and haunting. disgusting because of her views, haunting because of what they signify on the deeper level.
sad that the comparisons she draws between men and women are still prevalent and affecting women's lives negatively just as severely. so ig somehow maybe it is some kind of an 'advanced' literature but her prejudices put it years behind.
would like to start off by saying that one can't simply discuss the literary discourse without pointing out the problematic aspects of it. as a woc, this book is straight up full of disgusting words/thoughts/actions that for me, put it in the not a 'required reading' unlike what many think of it.
just because it is of a certain era, as people like to state to defend the glaring racism, homophobia and fatphobia in the book, doesn't mean i'm supposed to turn a blind eye and only focus on the aspects i like.
that being said, i'm pretty sure something can't be a feminist read if it doesn't fulfill all criterias.
“the more hopeless you were, the further away they hid you.”
esther is an ambitious woman. she wants to achieve, she doesn't know exactly what but she works towards it relentlessly so it seems easy to her but it's because she has nothing else going on in her life.
she can't end this race to the 'something,' because if not that then what? she isn't getting joy out of them like she states. the last time she felt happy was when she was running on the beach with her father as a nine year old.
her very first act of acknowledging her declining mental health was when she moved into her mother's home and gave up on this personal ambition. she dropped out and couldn't even write a page to save the day. this resonated with me more than i'd like to admit...
“i was supposed to be having the time of my life.”
the writing gets dull at times but it is so engaging that it was hard to put down the book. her slowly descending to well... madness is to me, just as getting to know her more and more intimately.
i don't think she was any 'better,' at the very start. we just started to get to know her better and she became more vulnerable and got triggered more easily, that is probably why it seems like it escalated.
“i felt wise and cynical as all hell.”
i get the feminist aspect though, the protagonist is going through the struggle of trying to fit into one of the roles made up by the society for women to fit into. she has arranged her friends into the same but goes through a hard time picking one for herself.
esther makes some compelling cases but could never fit into any of the stereotypes she had in mind for women around her. maternal, sexual and intellectual.
her obsession with purity was infuriating at first but when you understand that this is a struggle that women go through, to this day, you understand how it's actually pretty realistic. (not to say i agree with any of her views. gag.)
at last, i'd like to add that the mirror scenes are disgusting and haunting. disgusting because of her views, haunting because of what they signify on the deeper level.
sad that the comparisons she draws between men and women are still prevalent and affecting women's lives negatively just as severely. so ig somehow maybe it is some kind of an 'advanced' literature but her prejudices put it years behind.