Feminist Undertones

Today, Sylvia Plath is recognized as one of the major literary feminists due to her writings on women living within a patriarchal society. She was born in 1932 in Boston and committed suicide in 1963, shortly after the first UK publication of her only novel, "The Bell Jar."

Sylvia Plath

The book highlights the oppressive patriarchal society in mid-twentieth century America where women were voiceless and powerless. Gender stereotypes are evident in Plath’s poetry, short stories, and in "The Bell Jar." Her works show that women allow themselves to be powerless if they are dependent on men. The themes of suicide and illness in relation to the struggle for freedom within a patriarchal society are portrayed in her writing. She embraced the ideology of femininity that had been indoctrinated in the women of her generation and believed that women should be independent and free from the control of men.

The protagonist in "The Bell Jar," Esther Greenwood, is an educated and academically successful young woman. "The Bell Jar" is set during the early fifties, and the story begins in the city of New York midway during her month's stay after winning a contest to work with several other young women on a prestigious fashion magazine. It then continues to follow Esther’s return home to the suburbs, her slide into depression, and the time she spent in a mental institution. The main action of the story takes place in the Summer of 1953. In the 1950s, women were content with being housewives with no ambition other than to serve their family. Society at the time promoted a traditional family structure and rejected individualism. In her semi-autobiographical novel, Plath presents a wide range of female characters who exemplify such female stereotypes, and while some were described as conforming to their adverse label, others challenged this role and ascended towards their potential.

Courtesy of the Lilly Library, Indiana University

In "The Bell Jar," the reader is confronted with the notions of double standards based on socially acceptable identities in a patriarchal society. Plath deals with issues such as the power over one’s own body, loss of virginity, a career path, and the search for self. The conservative rules in 1950s America are evident at several points in "The Bell Jar." At the time, there was immense pressure for women to embody purity and chastity, and the only life that was truly acceptable for them to aspire to was that of a suburban mother and homemaker (Smith, 2008). Pursuing a career or anything else besides what society deemed appropriate was met only with judgment and a loss of respect. These rules were in place due to the understanding that women were simply meant to be subservient to men; that a woman’s ultimate fulfillment was to cater to a man’s needs. I promise you, you won't regret reading it!