An Analysis Of Esther's Tragedy In Bell Jar

Sylvia Plath is not only an outstanding poetess as well-known as Emily Dickinson and Elizabeth Bishop,but also a genius with a peculiar artistic temperament.In 1982,Plath won a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for The Collected Poems,which is one of the top awards in American Literature.Although Plath was intelligent and creative in her writing,she committed suicide a month after the first publication of The Bell Jar.What caused the poetess' s death? The public started to speculate on the reasons for her suicide.As Plath's autobiographical novel,The Bell Jar becomes a window for the readers to observe the inner world of this genius.The ending of the novel is not clear because the story stopped abruptly after the heroine stepped into the boardroom of the mental hospital.Because of the open ending,readers can't help thinking whether Esther has got out of the trouble or not.There are various opinions about the ending of the novel in the academic circles.Some critics think that Esther is entirely recovered and has been reborn,however,the other critics don't think so.They suggest that Esther still can't get out of the dilemma,and she needs to stay in hospital for treatment.In my opinion,the ending of the novel is hopeless,and Esther's tragedy can't be avoided.Over the years,most critics incline to explore the causes of Esther's tragedy from the perspective of society and family,but the inherent reasons of the role are often ignored.This paper will explore Esther's own problems through a closing reading of the novel under the view of psychology and point out that it is not only patriarchal pressures and family conflicts that caused her breakdown,but also her inner world.Esther's uncertainty of her identity,her perfectionism and self-destructive tendency led her tragedy.