Mental Instability In The Bell Jar
Explore through comparison Plath’s presentation of mental instability in The Bell Jar and Ariel.
The point of living has been a theme in literature that has been used on many occasions, Hamlet sums it up with the question “To be or not to be”. The myth of Sisyphus also investigates the real point in living. Plath’s work is an altogether more tortured catalogue of mental illness and summing up the answer to Camus’ question. [A]
Plath expresses sequences of mental instability throughout her work, The Bell Jar often references this with the theme of rebirth and being born again. I interpret the pairing of the two themes to be significant in identifying the true state of mind Plath was portraying Esther to be in. The metaphor of water is …show more content…
I think Plath’s use of this metaphor is again suggesting the slow disappearance of her issues.
It is also important to remember Esther tries to commit suicide in the bell jar and considers drowning as a way to do it. This juxtaposes the original idea of water being a positive cleanser as now Esther considers it’s more dangerous aspect.
Throughout the novel Plat uses images of water with a rejuvenation stigma attached to it, she toys with the baptism concept throughout revering water as her healer or soother of her pain.
“I waited as if the sea could make a decision for me…gripped my ankle with moral ache.
My flesh winced, in mortal cowardice, from such a death.” [13]
This image of water now being her potential killer is a significant contrast to the earlier imagery. The first line in the sequence is the most interesting for me, it was only seventy pages previous the indecision was ruining Esther’s life, now she is handing the power of choice to a wild entity. It becomes an even more interesting point when considering Esther’s suicide attempt
The point of living has been a theme in literature that has been used on many occasions, Hamlet sums it up with the question “To be or not to be”. The myth of Sisyphus also investigates the real point in living. Plath’s work is an altogether more tortured catalogue of mental illness and summing up the answer to Camus’ question. [A]
Plath expresses sequences of mental instability throughout her work, The Bell Jar often references this with the theme of rebirth and being born again. I interpret the pairing of the two themes to be significant in identifying the true state of mind Plath was portraying Esther to be in. The metaphor of water is …show more content…
I think Plath’s use of this metaphor is again suggesting the slow disappearance of her issues.
It is also important to remember Esther tries to commit suicide in the bell jar and considers drowning as a way to do it. This juxtaposes the original idea of water being a positive cleanser as now Esther considers it’s more dangerous aspect.
Throughout the novel Plat uses images of water with a rejuvenation stigma attached to it, she toys with the baptism concept throughout revering water as her healer or soother of her pain.
“I waited as if the sea could make a decision for me…gripped my ankle with moral ache.
My flesh winced, in mortal cowardice, from such a death.” [13]
This image of water now being her potential killer is a significant contrast to the earlier imagery. The first line in the sequence is the most interesting for me, it was only seventy pages previous the indecision was ruining Esther’s life, now she is handing the power of choice to a wild entity. It becomes an even more interesting point when considering Esther’s suicide attempt