Journal on the Bell Jar

Journal on The Bell Jar

I really enjoyed reading Plath's The Bell Jar--I think it is one of my favorites that we have read this semester. An interesting sexuality issue I noticed in this novel dealt with gender expectations. Plath presents Esther's character from a feminist perspective, and despite her insanity, Esther appears as a strong and respected female throughout the book. Esther takes an interesting view on Buddy's non-virginal status--I don't think she is so much angry with him for sort of cheating on her as she is angry that he has an advantage over her. She wants to "level the playing field" by having sex with someone else, too. Esther wants to see herself as an equal partner in the relationship, and she is a very individualistic and self-dependent character. She concerns herself with her education and personal success before she does pleasing Buddy or really any other male figure in the novel. Her devastation arises when she realizes that she cannot live up to her own expectations, and I think this occurs at least in part because she wants to be able to take care of herself and be independently successful. I think a lot of Esther's "feminism" lies in her fierce desire to be independent. Even during her descent into madness, she doesn't depend or expect anyone to save her, nor does she seem to beg for sympathy (which gives her character more credibility and evokes more respect from the reader). She also doesn't seem to "need" Buddy, and really has no trouble dismissing him from her life, even though he is a promise of stability and security for her if she chooses to marry him.

Works Cited

Plath, Sylvia. The Bell Jar. New York: Penguin, 2000.