Title: The Bell Jar
Author: Sylvia Plath
ISBN: 978-0-061-14851-4
Recommended Grade Level of Reader: 9th and Up
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Media Type: Book
Copyright: 1963
Genre: Fiction
Reader's Annotation: Internships, careers, motherhood? Sometimes life can be a little overwhelming.
Plot Summary: The Bell Jar, a classic fictional novel supposedly based on the author’s life, is set on the East Coast during the 1950s. Esther, the female protagonist, is a college student on break for the summer. She beings a writing internship at a magazine in New York. Unconfident about her skills and conflicted about having a career or pursuing something more in line with traditional female gender roles like motherhood, Esther shows signs of depression. A month later, Esther returns to Boston to stay the rest of the summer with her mother and becomes even more depressed. She attempts committing suicide and ends up in the psychiatric ward of a hospital. Events unfold during her lengthy stay in the hospital which is the focus of the remainder of the novel.
Evaluation: (A) This is a great story because it is incredibly realistic. While The Bell Jar may appear to be outdated, it includes themes that teenagers today will be able to relate to. Esther has feelings of insecurity and this insecurity consumes her thoughts at many points throughout the novel. Many young adults will be able to identify with her anxiety as high school aged students are at the prime years to be questioning one’s identity and talents. Similarly, Esther struggles with pursuing a writing career and being a mom or entering a feminized profession. While this issue was prevalent during the feminine revolution, teenagers today still debate the path that they should be taking. The Bell Jar would make a great addition to a young adult book list concerning mental illness, social issues, or classic novels.
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