Literary Exploration discussion

Final thoughts

Disturbing .... I have to read more about Sylvia Plath, want to learn more about her life.

I was pleasantly surprised by how poignant it was.

Like Chandler, I was also surprised by this book. I didn't expect it to be as universal as I believe it was. Before reading The Bell Jar, I though that this was a novel only women could identify with. Sure, I knew anyone could read it and learn from it, but I didn't expect to understand what Esther was feeling as deeply as I did. As a man, I didn't think I would relate to the story, but I was very wrong.

The story was heartbreaking, but I think it was far from inaccurate in its portrayal of a person racked with depression and suicidal thoughts. It's probably not a good thing I identified so much with Esther, but, nevertheless, I did. I suppose everyone is placed under a bell jar from time to time in their lives. There will often be times when social expectations distort our perspective, or our reality conflicts with our expectations or society's expectation, and those times can be very trying. I think Plath must have known times like these very intimately and that's why she was able to capture them so vividly in her book. I'm happy it was our book of the month, because I may never had read it otherwise and I think, for me personally, it was really good to read this book.

I like that you bring up your perspective as a male reader, Rob. I have read this several times and never considered it as a male reader might, only as women are not equal,lol.

I was left melancholy and heartbroken. The myriad journey through this psyche was mentally and physically draining. Now I want to read Plath's poetry .

You're definitely onto something, Rob. You proved that Esther is a universal character. I related to her not just as a college grad, but as an English major. It was eerie to read her observations sometimes, just from that perspective.

While I've never encountered the deep depression Esther struggled with, I understood her anxiety about life as a young adult out of college. I even hear of more established, mature adults express feelings similar to Esther. It's not often a writer will create characters who struggle to show their feelings but Sylvia Plath did it well. Esther felt so much that she came across as emotionless, which is rare in a novel.

The ending was more upbeat than I could have hoped for, too. It also made me feel sad for Plath, though.

I agree with Chandler. The ending of the book was more upbeat than expected. The book really makes you think however when you realize it is semi-autobiographical. Plath went through this stage, recovered to some extent and then slipped back and did not recover. As Chandler said, very sad.

I read Plath's poetry years ago and also about her life and this book brings it right back. I think that is why I'm not pushing myself to finish it because as Janet mentions it's sad and I think the upbeat nature of the book makes it even sadder when you know the actual story.

I really liked how she wrote so beautifully the fear of becoming crazy as you fall. You can feel her attempts to be hold on and her desperation to a point where you can feel why she would give up.

I just finished. I agree with all these comments. This novel was sad and disturbing. My version gave a short biography if Sylvia Plath. Such tragedy for her and her family as well. Anyone who has suffered from depression on some level or been stuck in a seemingly hopeless situation can empathize with the feeling of being in a bell jar. It left me feeling sad for her and the pain she endured. While Sylvia lost the battle, I like to believe that Esther went on to find happiness. Maybe advances is medications and treatment could have made a difference. RIP Sylvia.

Beth wrote: "I just finished. I agree with all these comments. This novel was sad and disturbing. My version gave a short biography if Sylvia Plath. Such tragedy for her and her family as well. Anyone who..."

I certainly hope that advances in treatment would have helped. Some of the treatments in the book seemed so cruel that perhaps they hindered rather than helped.

A bell jar is a piece of laboratory equipment used to contain vacuum. It's a clear glass jar. A hose can be connected and the air is pumped out. A famous classroom experiment is to have inside the glass jar an alarm clock which is ringing as the air is pumped out. As the air disappears, you can't hear the alarm clock. If the clock was alive, it couldn't hear you anymore, either, or perhaps it would be muffled. If you are inside, perhaps, you can't really feel the world, it can't be touched or experienced except as distant thunder. You are trapped inside. And no matter how hard you try, all you can feel is the glass wall, not the wind, not touching people, not tasting. Numb. The title, I think, is about Esther's condition, a clue. She KNEW it was her brain, not the world and the things that happen.

The book seems to be a Rorschach test of sorts to readers. Some who I suspect do not have a clue about being permanently unbalanced no matter what think 'Esther' is a crybaby. Some think the story disjointed - huh? Maybe they need to read it again straight through without interruptions. Others think she needs to toughen up or lighten up, or it's all boring. The worst inability to empathize, I think, come from some readers who completely miss the fact Esther was almost raped, and she had to hide it, and that she was a talented writer without resources or a famous family. At every turn, she was unable to get published, her other true tragedy, besides that of an incurable mental illness, at the time. Today, I think a Paxel-type pill would have helped her a great deal of it was depression, or something like. Of course, if it was schizophrenia, as some have suggested, she might have responded to some of the newer drugs. Either way, it doesn't seem she could fix this, if at all, without today's drugs. She had the kind of mental illness that comes from biochemical or wiring defects, not life experiences, I think.

Frankly, reading through the different reviews on GR is amazing and fascinating. I'm so glad GR exists, and I love reading the different reactions.

I loved the writing, but Esther is a very sad case and this is a very depressing book. Given the time period of her suffering, I can't think of a time in American history more difficult to be mentally ill. Soldiers suffering from PTSD were being called out as cowards. Women, who had been building warships and weapons and plumbing, raising children alone, and making do with very little food in the stores, had been forced back into dresses and white gloves and little hats, housewife work, and manicured lawns. When you married, you lost what little credit you may have possessed at the bank. You couldn't legally sign most contracts as a female, which means no woman could buy a house or car on credit. You even lost your name. Talk about 'the nanny state'. Men thought women were much lesser than themselves in all things. Women were either allowed the respect of uneducated scrubbers of toilets or put on pedestals, not recognized as beings that could scratch, fart or burp. Married people on TV slept in twin beds.

For the common person, at the time, being mentally ill was a case of moral weakness. That perception is obvious from Esther's mom. I hate her, for the record. The others did not know how to help her. I think it was impossible without the proper medications we have today. The synapses of her brain didn't fire right - how could talk therapy or electric shock fix this?

Regardless of the mental illness issue, the writing is superb. So many phrases to recall with thrills and chills. The lady WAS a great writer.