The Bell Jar Summary
Sylvia Plath

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath In her novel The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath describes the torment that she suffered during a mental breakdown and suicide attempt. Although she tells the first-person tale ... Read more

Biography EssayNow famous for her ritual flirtations with death, Sylvia Plath has emerged as a significant fig- ure in contemporary American literature in the two and a half decades since her suicide ... Read more

In "Three Women," the final poem of Winter Trees (1971), Sylvia Plath speaks through the voice of a woman in a maternity ward, whose words provide a fitting statement for the poet's singular fixation ... Read more

In his introduction to The Journals of Sylvia Plath, 1950-62 (1982), her husband, poet Ted Hughes, wrote that she wore "many masks" but that he believes he knew her "real self" -- "the self I had marr... Read more

Critical Essay by Sylvia Robinson Corrigan [The sarcasm and sharp wit Plath] shows boyfriends in Bell-Jar is a timid complement to the furious tantrums she displays to the men in the poems of Ariel. T... Read more

Critical Essay by Robert Scholes "The Bell Jar" is a novel about the events of Sylvia Plath's 20th year: about how she tried to die, and how they stuck her together with glue. It ... Read more

Critical Essay by Philip Hobsbaum The Bell Jar is the matrix of Sylvia Plath's work and anticipates her transition into neurotic writing. Indeed, her task of correcting the proofs of this novel... Read more

Critical Essay by Saul Maloff In Plath's schoolgirlish novel [The Bell Jar] nothing is imagined; the events come straight out of the life, untransfigured; madness and suicide are facts like any... Read more

In the following essay, Martin provides both a brief overview of The Bell Jar and examples of Plath's poetry to illustrate the autobiographic and social context of her work. Challenging the &#x... Read more

In the following essay, Wagner examines The Bell Jar as the chronicle of a young woman's psychological development and search for identity. As Wagner notes, Plath's depiction of the hero... Read more

Many authors anticipate the use of "I" in their works. Often, it helps them express their point to the reader. Sometimes though, writers want to talk about their personal issues but do not want to sa... Read more

Individuality is something all young people will struggle with at sometime or another.  The 1950s was an era of repressed feminism and social confusion about the role of the woman.  In Sylvi... Read more

Claim #1: Mrs. Greenwood influences Esther's identity as a woman by doubting her ability to excel in the profession of her choice, and making Esther feel as if she has to work twice as hard to make it... Read more

The Bell Jar is a glass jar used to protect things of value; Sylvia Plath uses this imagery throughout the book to show Ester's isolation. Esther has her own "Bell Jar," because she feels isolated a... Read more

The Bell Jar Book Notes is a free study guide on The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. Browse the summary below:   Author Biography / Context of the Work   One-Page Plot Summary   Charact... Read more