Rory's Book List: The Bell Jar
“I talk to God but the sky is empty.” - Sylvia Plath
The Life of Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath's only novel The Bell Jar is a deserved classic. Plath was an accomplished poet and is most famed for her advances in the genre of confessional poetry. At a very young age, Plath showed promise as a writer. Her father died when she was only eight years old and he inspired some of her early writing.
Plath's earlier works were oriented around nature whilst her later works are more intense and are deeply rooted in her emotions. After college, she attended an internship at a magazine in New York City. In her 20s she fell into a depression in which she slit her legs to test if she dared to take her own life. After being rejected at a writing seminar at Harvard and undergoing ECT for depression; Plath had her first suicide attempt in which she crawled under a front porch and tried to overdose on sleeping pills. An experience she describes as
“Blissfully succumbed to the whirling blackness that I honestly believed was eternal oblivion.” - Sylvia Plath
Plath gets put into psychiatric care where she endures more ECT and insulin shock treatment. She makes a steady recovery and after six months she returns to college. She is granted a scholarship to the University of Cambridge. In England, Plath meets an English poet named Ted Hughes. After four months of dating, they got married in 1956. They have two children together and seem to be happily married for a long time. However, Plath wrote letters to her psychologist in which she describes Hughes as abusive and being the cause of her miscarriage.
“Is there no way out of the mind?” - Sylvia Plath
They separated in 1962 after Plath found out about Hughes's affair with Assia Wevill. Plath is left to take care of their two children and during this period she starts writing her most prominent works. Depression itches closer and Sylvia tries to commit suicide once again, this time in a car crash, but this fails. She confesses to her practitioner and close friend that her depression has worsened and he prescribes her anti-depression pills just a few days before her death.
“I have the choice of being constantly active and happy or introspectively passive and sad. Or I can go mad by ricocheting in between.” - Sylvia Plath
On the 11th of February 1963, Plath was found dead by the children's nurse. She had barracked herself into the kitchen by sealing the doorway between herself and her children with tape and towels. She turned on the gas in the gas oven and shoved her head inside, dying of carbon monoxide poisoning.
“I desire the things that will destroy me in the end.” - Sylvia Plath
Researching about Sylvia Plath has been an eye-opening experience. Her life was so sorrowfully tragic. Plath has written pieces that are so relevant and significant back then and to today's society. I mourn the loss of the possible masterpieces that she never got the chance to write.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
The Bell Jar is semi-autobiographical and was published under the pseudonym, Victoria Lucas. It was published just a few weeks before Plath's suicide at the age of 30. The novel follows Esther Greenwood, a star student at an internship for a magazine in New York City.
“Perhaps when we find ourselves wanting everything, it is because we are dangerously close to wanting nothing.” - Sylvia Plath
Esther Greenwood is sailing in a broken ship and is slowly sinking but she does nothing about it. She is overwhelmed by her options so she decides to stop everything and wait until she's wrecked the boat. This is beautifully expressed in the book,
“I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked (. . .) I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn't make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.” (page 73)
Esther is in a bit of an existential crisis. She hasn't found a purpose in her life and therefore it becomes taxing to find motivation to live. This novel handles existentialism well, it makes one think about one's life and its purpose.
Plath's writing is similar to poetry, which makes sense because she was a poet. The writing is undoubtedly nuanced and complex. I had to look up multiple words whilst reading, which is always a good thing. Frankly, I have nothing to complain about this book; It is simply perfection.
“I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart. I am, I am, I am.” (page 233)
Book Reference in Gilmore Girls
In Season 1 episode 17: “The Breakup Part II”, Rory Gilmore is scrambling for something to distract herself from her breakup with Dean. She sits on her bed scouring for anything of interest, when a piece of paper lands in her lap. It's an invitation to Madeline's, another Chilton student, party. Rory scurries to her mother, happily showing her the invite. Lorelai Gilmore asks in astonishment
“You're going to a Chilton party?” - Lorelai
“Yes I am.” - Rory
“Honey, why don’t you stay home and read The Bell Jar? Same effect.” - Lorelai
Admittedly, I don't think I ever noticed or understood this reference when I first watched the series. Now that I've finally read The Bell Jar, I recognise the humour and truth in this remark. The truth is that Rory ends up kissing another boy at the party and comes home devastated. She realises that Lorelai was right about trying to suppress her feelings and decides to wallow.
In another instance, Lorelai is upset with her friend Luke for moving without telling her. She can't decide what to eat and calls up Rory. After annoying her daughter with her problems, she asks for ideas on what to eat.
“I need a suggestion.” - Lorelai
“Have you read The Bell Jar?” - Rory
“Not funny!” - Lorelai
I can't help but find similarities between Rory Gilmore and Esther Greenwood. They were both straight-A students in high school. Both had their first love in high school, whom they ended up returning too. Writing and journalism interest them and existentialism is present. Esther is basically at a crossroads but is at a standstill, Rory on the other hand experiences frequent stops in her career. Either she does not want to go to Chilton because of a boy or she's taking a whole year off in college.
“The silence depressed me. It wasn't the silence of silence. It was my own silence.” (page 17)
This quote resonated with me. I believe that silence is beautiful but destructive. Plath distinguishes between good silence with your own silence. Sometimes being too silent can be your worst enemy and I certainly understand that. I believe that everything should come in moderation, you shouldn't be too loud or too silent. I tend to be too silent and sometimes I hate that I won't let myself say what I'm thinking, and I think many have the same problem.
The Bell Jar has impacted my view of life and I truly want to explore Path's poetry. There are many things I didn't discuss in this book review; such as Plath's impact on society's view on feminism and sexuality. I genuinely recommend reading this so that you can experience these topics in the book first-hand.
“To the person in the bell jar, blank and stopped as a dead baby, the world itself is a bad dream.” (page 227)
