Book Review: The Bell Jar

Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar is a semi-autobiographical novel that delves into the disintegration of a young woman’s mental health with piercing clarity and poetic grace. First published under a pseudonym in 1963, just a month before Plath’s death, the novel remains a timeless exploration of identity, societal pressure and the fragile boundaries of the mind.

The story follows Esther Greenwood, a bright and ambitious college student who wins a prestigious internship at a fashion magazine in New York. Beneath the surface of success, however, Esther feels increasingly detached and disillusioned. As she returns home, her inner turmoil deepens into a descent marked by depression, psychiatric treatment and a stark confrontation with the expectations placed on women in 1950s America.

Having battled with depression myself, I truly wanted to connect with Esther Greenwood, but I found myself not feeling Esther's pain. Some of Plath's writing were vivid and lyrical. I can relate to some of her words that being, "I'm not afraid of being lost. We all wander off from time to time. It's the fear of never quite finding myself that keeps me up at night."

Drawing from her own life experiences, Plath's portrayal of mental illness was safe without slipping into sentimentality.  She said the words that I had felt myself at one time like, "The silence depressed me. It wasn't the silence of silence. It was my own silence." But, for me, something was missing.

The Bell Jar, known as a classic is just that. To me, it wasn't raw enough. As much as I don't want to be in a place of darkness, I felt no sadness or darkness within this piece of writing. Mental illness is truly serious and many face the darkness and numbness that comes with depression. We read these pieces to not feel so alone. However, there's a missing link to this story and I just can't put my finger on it.