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Calatheas

Let me be frank. I did not enjoy this book. I did not enjoy the character Esther. However, I can acknowledge the fact that The Bell Jar is an extremely well-written novel in its own way. Plath does have her moments, making profound quotes every now and then throughout the novel. I can admire the fact that she tried to retain a sense of individuality during the 1950s, despite the views of society at the time. The book is simply not my cup of tea.

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Yo.gabby.gabby

I enjoyed reading this book. I found it a good book to introduce mental illness and depression to students who might not understand what a person is going through when they have these problems. It is very sad but I think it is good for people to know that depression isn't something a person can just stop having, they can't help that they feel sad all the time and don't want to do anything. Even though Plath was struggling her whole life with mental illness, I'm glad she wrote the Bell Jar, so other people could relate or if they aren't depressed they can learn about the disease and be more sympathetic.

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ComfySlope

This book has done nothing for me, it was okay but it wasn't the most interesting and i could've been doing something more productive with an amazing class like this. I did love learning more metaphorical devices that allowed me to be induced into the depth of writing but this wasn't my favorite.

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Yo.gabby.gabby

The end of this book has really stayed with me ever since I finished it. The book ends on neither a high point or a low point with Esther stepping into the room of doctors to be evaluated to see if she can function in society without the help of the hospital. In other books one might be able to assume the best, that Esther is now magically okay and can live her life happily, even though they might realize that is not the case. But we know what happened to Sylvia Plath, she wasn't okay, she couldn't function in society, and she didn't live happily. Being left with this realization brings the thought that not everything can have a happy ending, and sometimes you can’t be okay. In real life things happen and life continues on after a period or the last page in a book, and while Sylvia probably experienced small bursts of joy she was never able to feel completely satisfied with her life and her self view. To think that someone has to live their life through a black cloud is awful, and to image Plath had to deal with this in a time where she couldn't be helped completely makes the idea even worse. I hope we’ve learned how to help people like Plath, even just a little, to where they don't have to turn to suicide like she did. But as I’ve learned life can’t always have a happy ending.

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Calatheas

Now that I have read the story in its entirety, I can confidently say that I do not like Esther. I have come to the conclusion that she is a fundamentally unlikeable person in every way, shape and form. From her attitude to her inner monologue, I have not been able to identify any redeeming qualities to her whatsoever. She tries to illicit sympathy from the reader through various flashbacks that allow insight on what made her the way that she is, however these flashbacks only serve to show how she has allowed her past make her bitter and cynical.

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skid mark

Depression in the 1950′s was so scary. No one knew it was a clinical problem that you could help with medicine, instead they used things like shock therapy, and told them “suck it up”. Now we have medicine and helpful clinics, depression is a huge problem, but we have actual solutions now for many people. With Esther, she keeps trying to use things that won’t help,but she likes them because they give her temporary security and comfort. The vodka for example makes her feel pure and clean, but later when she sees Doreen drunk and passed out on the floor, she is disgusted. She can’t seem to find any stability in her life, and even when everything is going perfect, she isn’t satisfied in herself or her surroundings. That must be terrifying. To know that no matter what you do, you are going to not be enough or feel satisfied can haunt someone to death.

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skidmark

The bell jar I’m sure is a great book. However, at this point in the year i am having a hard time finding motivation to read. I am unmotivated, and I feel bad for Sylvia because I am sure she has many great things to say. From what I have read, I am not a fan or Doreen. That girl is a classic ditsy blond that is just trying to hook up. I understand where Esther is coming from by trying to follow around Doreen though. Esther wants to fit in, so she is doing what women did and still do to fit in and get men’s attention. Also this book is annoying. I got more than my fill of imagery and taking quotes for more than just what they say and all that when we read Walden. I want an author to be straight forward with me and stop trying to be all deep and meaningful.

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ComfySlope

The Bell Jar has continued to depress me and makes me utterly upset. It is not the most thrilling read and rather gives me a sense of sadness. School as is, is a quite depressing place with the hectic and stressed people and the constant complaining and whining. The Bell Jar adds to the sadness. I really can't stand how Ester can feel so lost when she has nothing but opportunity that everyone is trying to revive her. As we all know it doesn't work. The Bell Jar as a whole has stressed me out completely and I have a constant headache when trying to complete what needs to be done. I can't wait for this project to be over. I do find this book one of the better of the year but still.

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ComfySlope

The Bell Jar emits emotional depths that I can not put into words. It gives elaborate details which can go in either a joyful or utterly depressing way. There is no in between, the spectrum is either skewed so far right or left. It doesn't spark much in me yet I can appreciate that it is the #2 best book of the year following Walden. (no I'm not being sarcastic) It's an easy and enjoyable read but the depths we must go into to understand it wrecks the whole thing. I enjoy the story but Sylvia Plath's twisted mind can cause an utter disturbance and makes me wonder how one can think like that.

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My Thoughts on The Bell Jar

calatheas: I don't like this book. I think that the main character, Esther, is extremely annoying. The way that she thinks and speaks can be seen as very pretentious. She feels that she is unique, and that she is better than everyone else in society because of it. Sure, she's tried to commit suicide a bunch of times and was once admitted to the looney bin, but so have thousands of other people. In conclusion, I don't like this book, I don't like Esther, and I don't like Sylvia Plath.

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Pennies for Esther’s thoughts

Yogabbygabby: I feel extremely bad for Esther because her life sucks. I suppose her life could be worse because she has a scholarship job, is a very smart person, and is surrounded by people who seem to only want the best for her. People might say there are starving children in Africa, so suck it up, but I don’t believe in telling someone who lives in a first world country to suck it up because it is not a fair comparison as that person obviously isn’t going to experience the same struggles as the poor kids in Africa.  Esther keeps getting the worst part in every situation. In the beginning we see her take a chance and go with Lenny only to play third wheel, she goes to the Ladies’ Day dinner only to get food poisoning, and even tries going out again with Doreen to only be assaulted. I can’t really say I am surprised she isn’t happy with her life when nothing ever really goes in support of her. People always say you should be positive and positive things will happen, but poor Esther keeps putting herself out there only to be humiliated or mistreated. Anyone would feel depressed and hopeless if life continuously slammed door after door in your face. 

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skidmark: 

As a student- As a student I feel that I can only be successful in what I find value in learning. For example, I find value in being politically aware, knowing history of our great nation and the world, writing and analyzing literature, and things I find fun like football and baseball. When it comes to these things I can absorb information, and be relatively successful with little to no effort. However, when it comes to things that will have no impact on my future with today’s technology, like finding the center of a triangle on a graph, I can’t focus or learn quickly because i find no value in it. 

As a writer- As a writer I am confident and I feel I do pretty well. My sisters are both great writers, along with my mother who is an English major, and I feel I follow in the footsteps. I feel that I am the same in writing as I am with other subjects as well though. I write much better with topics I believe matter, and that impact me, but when we are writing about a woman who lived in the 50′s who killed herself and then wrote a feminist book, I feel I don’t care enough to be as successful as I could.

As a reader- I’m illiterate

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As A...

calatheas: As a writer, I am somewhat incompetent. I am never consistent with my use of word tense, which causes my essays to seem jumbled and confusing. As a reader, I can enjoy both fiction and nonfiction novels, however I can be overly-critical of them, which can cause my reading experience to depreciate. As a student, I am independant, I work best alone. I prefer not to work in groups because I feel as if I either do not assist my team enough or that I am the one doing most of the work.

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Literary bio

Yogabbygabby: As a writer, I'm continuously learning how to better my writing and believe in my words. As a reader, I love to read and immerse myself into fantasy worlds, but I hate to see a good book come to an end. As a student, I feel the pressure to constantly be above average, with a pressure to have good grades and determination in the gym. I enjoy learning from all different teachers with different teaching styles.

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Blog 1 - Need_Friends

As a writer, I am slowly accepting the reality that I enjoy letting words flow out of my pencil, a reality that I had vehemently denied for most of life. As a reader, I am missing the days where I would come home and spend hours reading science fiction book, unable to put it down. As a student, I slowly accept the fact that I do not have the capacity to force myself to read an unappealing book. I genuinely enjoy reading but as a student I am unable to find a genre that is pleasurable.

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ComfySlope

As a writer, I have grown immensely. This past year I have dug into the depths of writing capability and have surprised myself with the ability of words. I continue to learn and increase my knowledge of the greater English Language to only make me better. As a reader, I hate reading. It used to be a passion of mine to sit down and enjoy a book, but the common core of Georgia has ruined my love and even appreciation for reading. I do wish I find a new love of reading when I am able to just relax and read. As a student, the title fits me perfectly. I am learning and want to continue to learn, my constant stress is a dark cloud but the knowledge I obtain makes the difficulties a positive. I love independence but the guidance of others only increases my capabilities.