Characters
Protagonist and narrator
Esther Greenwood
This object represents Esther’s feeling of being trapped and suffocated.
The Bell Jar
The decade that The Bell Jar took place in.
1950s
This is the city where Esther spends her internship at a fashion magazine.
New York City
What mental illness does Esther struggle with?
Depression
Has tuberculosis(TB)
Buddy Williard
Mirrors often symbolize this struggle in the novel.
Identity
How many times did Sylvia Plath attempt suicide?
2 times
Where did Esther attempt suicide with a bottle of sleeping pills?
Crawlspace
This theme is seen in Esther’s repeated questioning of what makes her truly herself.
Identity
The person who's grave Esther visits.
Esthers father
Figs on the fig tree
Life choices
What wave of feminism was this time period in?
Proto-second wave feminism
After her suicide attempt, Esther is sent to this kind of institution.
Mental institution
What are the 3 major themes in this novel?
Identity, mental health, & societal expectations
Esther’s benefactor who pays for her psychiatric treatment.
Philomena Guinea
A person that is that exact opposite of what Esther wants to be.
Mrs. Williard
What kind of pressure were woman facing during the time period of the novel?
Pressure to conform
Esther’s mental breakdown is triggered after she is rejected from this kind of academic program.
A writing course/summer school at Harvard
What role does Esther not want to fulfill?
Motherhood/housewife
Esther compares herself unfavorably to this woman, her co-worker in New York.
Betsy
Symbolizes the authority, power, and obligation associated with money
Marco's diamond pin
What age did Slyvia Plath publish her first poem?
8 years old
This is where the novel ends ambiguously as Esther prepares for this critical psychiatric evaluation.
The exit interview/hearing with the medical board
Esther struggles with her career aspirations/independence and what else?
Societal expectations