The Bell Jar Book Review 2 Brandon Nguyen

“Wherever I sat-on the deck of a ship or at a street café in Paris or Bangkok- I would be sitting under the same glass bell jar, stewing in my own sour air.” I sat there, after reading this quote in a feeling of shock and an also a since of “Holy crap this white girl need to get it together”. Like it sounds like this girl need massive PSL (pumpkin spiced latte). Or, maybe a new Chanel medium boy bag in the oil slick leather.

 But in reality this quote did give me a puzzling challenge to wrap my mind around. On one hand, I did not know why it was so hard for her to move on from her past experiences. To me they did not seem that bad for a person her age. I mean at this point in our lives we probably all seen what a penis looks like. Thanks to the help of sexual education in public schools.

But, then the in same aspect, the obvious part was, I’m not her, and I’m not Esther. So I could not relate to her and understand her experiences, being usually happy as I am, I could not understand this feeling of sadness that she was going in circles about. I have felt deep sadness, but I always find some how to get out of it. So her suffering to me in that manner, was hard to understand.

               However, the other part of this quote that got to me was the idea of being trapped in a glass bell jar. I believe that Plath was trying to establish a since of a never ending hell. A since the new normal, and it was this idea of creating a new normality that also did give me a puzzle to solve. If Plath was truly writing about this idea of creating a new normal, then what makes something normal? I think we all have heard that quote of the spider and, the fly and, chaos and, more fun stuff. But I never gave it a second thought after reading this book by Plath.

               How I interpreted this idea, was that as amazing, graceful, or beautiful any moment may be, one will become emotional numb to experience itself. Like, buying a new bag. The bag is only new for that moment, then that moment passes of it being new. The same can be applied to our emotions and how we feel. Such as, sadness or happiness, will no longer affect us when time is able to move on.

               However in Plath’s vision, of this idea was taken to the other end of the spectrum. Where one must face their feelings, and suffering as a never ending cycle. So the bell jar now, becomes a limitation on time, and it’s this limitation on time that makes Esther’s feelings never ending. Thus, she can’t move on from her experience form the past, and it almost makes her emotions a part of her. And, an ugly part of her that won’t end.

                   And yet as sad all of this may seem, the thoughtful part was that, I also felt a since of personal reflection as a reader. The feeling was profound but at the same time so subjective. It was also in this chapter that I felt so connected to the main character too. To her, the past experiences she has felt where traumatizing, and that to some of us that might be the norm but also we all consider different things as traumatizing to us. So in this aspect to me, it makes her seem more human, because she does feel pain and suffering. However, not the physical pain, but it’s the one inside that makes her seem more real, more human.

(This is a photo to show the perception of how a bell jar works. The perception is that it keeps the object inside of itself when the object stays in that state when in the jar,) 

Fast Fashion.

Fashion, to me is about the game of ferocious speed, and the book the Bell Jar by Sylivia Plath underlines that to me. I feel as if there is a since of the idea of speed in the first four chapters. As the reader, it caught my attention like a fire storm gone bad. I could relate to Esther (the main character) in many aspects. From her life challenges to her goals that she's completes, and every step in between.

Esther is apparently an amazing writer, and here paper wins her a trip to New York City. However, she gets tossed in to writing for a major magazine and has to compete with other girls to get the position. At this point, a lot of girls in her position would be happy to get the chance to work there. But to Esther she does not see this at all, she feels a since of displacement form the new environment that she is in. She also, early on starts so see the disconnection with herself.

            I completely feel for this poor white girl. I mean, I always feel this since of I don't belong here all the time. From new city's or locations, and even at times social events. So it's understandable to see how Esther can have the feeling of lose in a big city like New York City. I think it's the sense of self-doubt that's gets a lot of is in the end. I'm excited to see how she deals with this problem in her life.