Analysis on The Bell Jar from Feminist Criticism Perspective

◆Abstract：Feminist literary criticism as a criticism schools，is marked by gender，widespread gender awareness and female consciousness is its fundamental characteristics.The autobiographical novel of Sylvia Plath，The Bell Jar，is saturated with various novel and unique images.Through analyzing these recurring images such as the bell jar，baby and images associated with death from the feminist perspective，this paper intends to disclose the theme implicated in the text； the relentless social reality in which the talented women get lost and broke down mentally under the great pressure of social conventions.It calls on the women who are still living in the stifling atmosphere of the bell jar to take control of their destiny，strive for the equal rights and freedom enjoyed by men，and search for the realization of self-value.

◆Keywords：feminist literary criticism；bell jar；social convention

1.Introduction of the feminist criticism

Feminist literary criticism recognizes that since literature both reflects culture and shapes it，literary studies can either perpetuate the oppression of women or help to eliminate it.Thus，feminist literary critics are motivated to raise questions about literature and literary criticism that are basic to womens struggle for autonomy.How does literature represent women and define gender relations？Why has literary criticism ignored or devalued womens writing？ How does ones gender alter the way in which one reads literature？Is there a feminine mode of writing？

Feminist literary theory and criticism have been characterized by a number of concerns and emphases，including the following：

（1）An interest in discovering or recovering the works of women writers，especially those who have not been part of the traditional canon of literary works.

（2）Revalue and privilege womens experiences.

（3）Challenge stereotypical representations of women，such as“Other”，“lack” and part of “nature”.

（4）Raise question of whether men and women are different because of biology or whether they are socially constructed as different.

（5）To explore the existence of female language，and if it exists，whether it can also be used by men.

（6）An interest in exploring how female characters are presented，not only in works by women but in works by men as well.

（7）Question the popular idea of “authors death”，and ask whether there is only a “subjective position based on discourse” or，in contrast，experience （for example，black women，lesbian） is at the core.

2.Analysis on The Bell Jar from feminist criticism perspective

In the novel，Esther，the protagonist，feels as if all the female figures in her life have let her down by falling into societal expectations.And all the male figures in her life feel a need to express dominance，reflecting the male-dominated society of the 1950s.Esther feels as if society gives women a predefined role.These gender roles prevent her from fulfilling her dream of writing.

As the dominant image running through the full text，the bell jar is a true portrayal of the living conditions of modern women in society.The image of the bell jar comes from the big glass bottles full of that had died before they were born，which Esther saw at the medical school where her boyfriend Buddy attended.The bell-shaped hood symbolizes the suffocating environment in which women live.The protagonist trapped in the bell jar，and the impassable obstacle limited her pursuit of self-worth.Esther lived in the United States after World War II in the 1950s.Benefiting from the rapid recovery and development of the domestic economy，women have gained more access to higher education and personal development.The superficial equality covered up the social reality of discrimination against women in a patriarchal society.While pursuing self-development，women are bound from time to time.The highest value and only mission of women is the perfection of their own female characteristics.They were content to devote all their energy and intelligence to their husbands and children.Esthers mother and her boyfriend Buddys mother，Mrs.Willard，were both highly educated.They both lost themselves after marriage，exhausted their youth and talent in meeting their husbands and childrens needs and in tedious chores.Like Mrs.Willards exquisite rug，which was not hung on the wall as a creation of talent and wisdom to show its value，on the contrary，it was used as a kitchen mat，and soon stained and eclipsed.Just like a brilliant young girl turns into a torn worn housewife after marriage.Is this the fate of a womans marriage？ No matter how brilliant a woman is，once she falls into the trap of marriage，she loses the opportunity to show her personality and talent，and is destined to flatten out underneath at the feet of men like Mrs.Willards rug.And Esthers father told to her mother after the honeymoon that it was a relief to stop pretending，since then her mother never had a minutes peace.Buddy had been indoctrinating Esther with the idea of men and womens role in society，for example，he always told about his mother thought that “What a man wants is a mate and what a woman wants is infinite security，” and “What a man is is an arrow into the future and what a woman is is the place the arrow shoots off from.” Esther was dissatisfied and rebellious about this kind of thought.She longed for a free，independent，colorful，and passionate life，rather than wasting all her good time and intelligence on family chores.

The bell jar is like an invisible glass wall.Through it，there can only be brief，tentative and often twisted contact between the interior and exterior.Modern women are like living in a large invisible glass bottle，which is a narrow space for womens activities，and outside the bottle is a wide field for men.Women can see the outside world through glass，but they cant get into male territory.When she naively thought that the glass did not exist，or did not accept the fate of the arrangement，trying to break through this artificial barrier，she would be hit by the seemingly invisible glass.As a talented girl，Esther was not willing to be a housewife，she dreamed of becoming a poet in the future.But the ruthless reality had made the ambitious girl encounter setbacks，from which she had a clearer understanding of her position as a woman in society，and she is trapped in the pain and contradiction that she cannot extricate herself from.

Almost everyone Esther knows has tried to shape her according to their own ideal model.Her mother wanted her to be a dutiful daughter； Mrs.Willard tried to persuade her to be a good wife and good mother； Buddy wants to have a pure，gentle girlfriend； Jay Cee wished her to be a career woman.Esther never thought of saying no to trying to the traditional power，instead she tried to hide her true feelings and pander to worldly eyes.She had considered her mothers advice to study shorthand in order to get a living and give up the literature she loved.She had tried to repress her personality like her meek girlfriend Betsy，and to be a good wife and mother in accordance with tradition.When Buddy asked her to the ball，she felt relieved that there was no longer need to worry about the girls around her and laughed at her because no one dated with her.When Buddy belittled the poem she loved as ‘a piece of dust， she vehemently retorted in her heart，but simply said，‘maybe so. When Buddy proudly flaunted his newly published poem，she was not impressed，but said it was good.Esther restrained and repressed herself all the time.The ostensibly submissive girl had to suppress the fire of her heart and her rebellion against the mundane world.The intense inner conflict and the split self made her miserable，and the sour air in the bell jar made her breathless.As a result，she was ，like a trapped beast in a cage，searching restlessly for a way out of freedom.Only when Esther begins to have the courage to rebel against the mothers secular ideas，only when she realizes that she will never become Betsy or Willard，only when she realizes that she will never marry Buddy，only when When she clearly stated she did not want to have a gay relationship with Joan，the bell jar was temporarily raised and hung in her “few feet above the head” so that she could freely breathe “flowing air”.

3.Conclusion

The mission of feminist literary criticism is to re-read the classic texts of human，analyze the male culture mentality reflected by feminist image in the male female writers； study the nature and characteristics of female writing，rebuild the subject of female writing and find the character of female literature； seek and establish female literary tradition，women writing rewrite history，to provide experience for overcoming women writing difficulties.The feminist literary criticism could provide the novel The Bell Jar a more meaningful and valuable explanation.The story of Esther sounds like an alarm to the women who still live in the bell jar，and emphasizes the necessity and urgency of striving for equality and freedom.

References

[1]Beginning theory An introduction to literary and cultural theory[M].Third edition，Peter Barry，Manchester University Press，2009.

[2]Plath，Sylvia.The Bell Jar[J].New York：Harper&Row，1971.

[3]Jacobus，Mary.Reading Woman：Essays in Feminist Criticism[J].Methuen，1986.

[4]Eagleton，Mary，ed.Feminist Literary Criticism[J].Longman，1991.

[5]Ted Hughes.Sylvia Plath； collected poems[M].London：Faberand Faber Limited，1981：272.

[6]西蒙娜·德·波伏瓦，陶鐵注译.第二性[M]北京：中国书籍出版社，1998：65.

作者简介

白玉婵（1994—），女，汉族，甘肃兰州人，硕士研究生，单位：西北师范大学；研究方向：英语语言文学。