The Bell Jar offers an in-depth meditation on womanhood and presents a complex, frequently disturbing portrait of what it meant to be female in 1950s America. The Bell Jar closes just as Esther enters her exit interview at the psychiatric institution where she has spent the past few months recovering. Omissions? genre Coming-of-age novel; autobiographical fiction. After being rejected for a writing class, Esther must spend the rest of her summer at home with her mother; Esther’s father died when she was young. time and place written First draft as early as 1957, Cambridge, England; completed in 1962, Devon, England. While on a night pass, Esther loses her virginity, which she sees as a millstone. date of first publication January 1963, under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas. full title The Bell Jar. Faber and Faber (first edition under Plath’s name, 1966); She ultimately overdoses on sleeping pills but survives. The work, a thinly veiled autobiography, chronicles a young woman’s mental breakdown and eventual recovery, while … She believes he is a hypocrite, having acted as if she was more sexually experienced. Initially celebrated for its dry self-deprecation and ruthless honesty, The Bell Jar is now read as a damning critique of 1950s social politics. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Victoria Lucas, publisher  William Heinemann Limited (1963); climax  Esther almost succeeds in killing herself. England, date of first publication  January 1963, under the pseudonym By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from Shmoop and verify that you are over the age of 13. rising action  Esther spends a month as a guest editor in New York. and encroaching madness. falling action  Esther recovers in a city hospital and then in a private later, more systematic suicide attempts. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. language English. https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Bell-Jar. The Bell Jar details the life of Esther Greenwood, a college student who dreams of becoming a poet. author Sylvia Plath. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Genre. Updates? Her acclaimed poetry collection Ariel (1965) was published posthumously. When she begins hemorrhaging, she seeks the help of another patient, Joan, who goes with her to the emergency room. Previous Next . Most of her reflections circulate around sex and career. Visit BN.com to buy new and used textbooks, and check out our award-winning NOOK tablets and eReaders. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. This allusion to the Cold War and McCarthyism makes implicit connections between Esther’s experiences and the other paranoias and betrayals that characterized the decade. The Bell Jar is set in 1950s America, a time when American society was predominantly shaped by conservative values and patriarchic structures. Her eventual recovery relies on her ability to dismiss the dominant versions of femininity that populate the novel. Cambridge, England; completed in 1962, Devon, Shortly thereafter Joan commits suicide, and her death seems to quell Esther’s own suicidal thoughts. Coming-of-Age. The contradictory expectations imposed upon women in relation to sexuality, motherhood, and intellectual achievement are linked to Esther’s sense of herself as fragmented. She meets two other interns who manifest contrasting views of femininity as well as Esther’s own internal conflicts: the rebellious and sexual Doreen and the wholesome and virginal Betsy. or sleep. Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. She receives her first shock treatment, and contemplates © 2020 Shmoop University Inc | All Rights Reserved | Privacy | Legal. Perhaps the genre should be called autobiographical fiction (is that already a thing? Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. foreshadowing  Esther’s semi-suicidal plunge down the ski slopes foreshadows her ― Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar 4.5 to 5 stars This was a very powerful and only partially fictional tale from Sylvia Plath. Harper and Row (first American edition, 1971), tone  Matter-of-fact; cynical; terse; detached; girlish, setting (place)  New York City; the Boston suburbs; hospitals in and Esther is admitted to a mental institute, where she is treated by a progressive psychiatrist who, among other things, eases her concerns about premarital sex and encourages her to obtain a diaphragm. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. mental hospital, where she finds a psychiatrist whom she can trust. The Bell Jar, novel by Sylvia Plath, first published in January 1963 under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas and later released posthumously under her real name. Plath's novel has often been compared to J. D. Salinger's 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye because both works use adolescent angst as an occasion for criticizing social norms. The Bell Jar, novel by Sylvia Plath, first published in January 1963 under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas and later released under her real name. She struggles to write a novel and becomes increasingly despondent, making several half-hearted suicide attempts. When she returns home, she finds herself unable to read, write, It traces the path of Esther Greenwood, the main character and narrator, as she undergoes a critical period in her life where she transitions from a naïve adolescent to an experienced young woman. It traces the path of Esther Greenwood, the main character and narrator, as she undergoes a critical period in her life where she transitions from a naïve adolescent to an experienced young woman. Although the work ends on a hopeful note, Plath took her own life in 1963. The novel was inspired by events that occurred when Plath was in her early 20s. Please select which sections you would like to print: Corrections? Plath made clear connections between Esther’s dawning awareness of the limited female roles available to her and her increasing sense of isolation and paranoia. major conflict  Esther struggles against her oppressive environment Her published work has appeared in journals including.