Exploring Authority Figures In Sylvia Plath`s `the Bell Jar` (1963)

In writing The Bell Jar (1963), Sylvia Plath highlights a number of issues that society itself is often afraid to raise: whether as a result of social stigmatisation or otherwise, problems such as depression and suicide are brought forwards into the limelight. Cleverly contrasting moments of severe depression, eclectic memories and descri ptions of banal everyday life, Plath manages to create a patchwork narrative that verges on breaking the traditions of chronology and entertains the 'stream-of-consciousness technique' (Meyering 1993: 381), whilst managing to maintain a sense that the novel is whole and complete. Although far from conforming to the traditional characteristics of the bildungsroman that relates a coming-of-age story, The Bell Jar explores on the contrary how the pressures and expectations of parents and authority figures can bear a negative impact on the malleable mind of youth. The text reveals a social framework where adults are unable to communicate effectively with the younger generation and are incapable of providing the necessary support for the temperamental adolescent mind, represented through Esther Greenwood's solitary descent in to insanity. Although the novel does not overtly advocate rebellion or social reform, it reveals conventional attitudes and prejudices that plague the female protagonist.

Within the first few paragraphs of the novel, Plath establishes a narrative that charmingly balances honesty with pessimism; as Esther's character naively ponders her fear of electrocution, she describes the way that 'it had nothing to do with [her]' and '[she] thought it must be the worst thing in the world'(Plath 1996: 1), blissfully unaware of her own ominous future. Thus the opening is symbolic of her innocence: she is not ignorant, but the reader is reminded that she is young, curious and potentially vulnerable. The vivid, startling simile of the cadaver's head that Esther imagines, floating 'like some black, noseless balloon stinking of vinegar'(Plath 1996: 2), already rings alarm bells for the reader about her sanity, emphasised even more so by its strong, dark lexical chain when compared to the mundane 'eggs and bacon'(Plath 1996: 1) in the same passage. As the novel progresses, more and more warning signs crop up in similar forms, be it Esther failing to wash her hair for three nights or something more morbid, such as her frustration at her mother's snoring and the desire to 'take the column of skin and sinew[.]and twist it to silence between [her] hands.'(Plath 1996: 119) Tension builds slowly throughout the novel as we wonder if she will reach a moment of crisis: Plath gives us time to wonder at the ill-fated series of events to which her protagonist falls prey. However, the significance of The Bell Jar does not lie in critiquing bad luck or unfortunate circumstances; without denying the element of chance, it remains clear that without the social pressures laid upon her, Esther would not have reached such a critical stage. Positive authority figures within the novel are lacking, save Philomena Guinea, Esther's benefactor who has undergone a similar experience. Even Jay Cee, a strong career-oriented woman, is too harsh and critical in her expectations. She comes to represent something that Esther feels is unattainable, asking rather sarcastically "doesn't your work interest you?"(Plath 1996: 29) and insisting that she will "never get anywhere like that" (Plath 1996: 30). Esther is bound too tightly to the restrictions of money, class and gender and Jay Cee only serves to deepen the cracks of doubt that Esther already feels. Although she grows kinder and even consoles Esther momentarily, it is too late: the expectations are hardwired in. Similarly, the authority figure of the 'mother' within the novel offers no assistance; mothers such as Mrs Willard are too constricted by the patriarchal values of 1950s America and wish Esther to marry whenever possible, whereas Esther's single mother is arguably failing to effectively care for her own child, describing her condition as 'upset' to the psychiatrist. Lacking the support and understanding she requires, Esther begins to soak up any criticism like a sponge, reiterating just how sensitive the adolescent mind can be to any external influences.

From the afternoon Esther witnesses a birth to 'the sweet white baby cradled in its mother's belly' (Plath 1996: 93) that she envisions whilst plummeting down a ski slope, the author repeatedly incorporates imagery concerning babies and childbirth, perhaps signifying Esther's desire to retreat back into the innocence and oblivion of childhood rather than struggle towards the unknown. In a child's state of mind, she becomes vulnerable to the whims of various authority figures: parents, teachers and even friends such as Buddy Willard assume authority over her, the latter arguably powerful only in the name of his gender. Esther's perception of gender roles and the power distribution within family life is pushed askew by her father's absence, and with a keen eye she observes the relationships that others have and the way they operate, perhaps comparing it to her own. When she visits the beach and speaks to a little boy, he is repeatedly called by his anxious mother in a way that Esther never is: there are few attempts from anyone to reach out to her. Her father is a tragic memory and her mother is ignorant to the depths of her depression. The significance of the situation at the beach lies in its depiction of the perfect mother-and-child relationship; furthermore, the descri ption of the mother's calls as 'clear' and 'peremptory' (Plath 1996: 146) suggests that she has experience using the voice of authority over her child. She knows her role well, as does Dodo Conway, mother of six. Upon seeing Dodo pushing her pram, Esther declares 'children made me sick' (Plath 1996: 113); she does not enjoy the presence of the child, arguably because it embodies various elements that contribute to Esther's downfall. She may subconsciously desire a return to the lazy, easy life of a child and thus perhaps feels twinges of jealousy, but the actions of Dodo Conway and the mother at the beach represent something Esther is already strongly aware of: the confines of motherhood.

Considering the multiplicity of male authority figures who influence Esther throughout the novel, it is clear that her submission is not only a consequence of her childlike mind but also of her gender. Marco, Buddy Willard and Doctor Gordon provide countless examples of misogynistic behaviour: the former is physically and verbally abusive, Buddy is hypocritical and sexist whilst Doctor Gordon is patronising and cold, abusing her with his careless use of electroconvulsive therapy as though she is little more than an experiment. Plath's inclusion of these men is no mistake; it hardly takes a feminist critic to understand that a large portion of Esther's mental state is due to living in such a patriarchal society. Everywhere she turns, she is expected to desire motherhood and the perfect family life: The Bell Jar explores the idealisation of motherhood and the way that it can undermine any purpose or authority that women have, confining them to and defining them by their children, a phenomenon now recognised as the 'Mommy Myth' (Douglas and Michaels 2005). Esther's future fades into darkness as she is held back by what society dictates she can and cannot do, from Marco calling her a 'slut' after forcefully ripping her dress himself (Plath 1996: 105) to Buddy Willard accusing her of being 'a true neurotic' (Plath 1996: 89) for wanting to live in both the country and the city. It seems as though Esther's character can barely breathe without the veil of gender falling across the vision of those who look at her. She is trapped by the expectations of those around her: the social framework in place is not simply unable to support her but, with its inherently sexist values, actually contributes to her condition. Although the tendency towards mental illness can be genetic, it is undeniable that the struggle to strive as a working-class woman in 1950s America has a huge impact upon Esther. Yet without actively advocating any social rebellion, Plath is able to simply critique what she sees through Esther's innocent eyes, and a voice so honest and childlike has more resonance when it tells of suffering. Plath manipulates the reader into sympathising with Esther as they warm to her honesty; and in supporting Esther, they too must critically consider the patriarchal society of the day.

Having suffered under similar circumstances to Esther, there is no doubt that The Bell Jar holds autobiographical value as well as literary. As we read fragments of memories, anxious ponderings and unstable real-time situations we experience Esther's mental disintegration alongside her, the words functioning as a window directly into her, and perhaps Plath's, experiences. Due to this descent and eventual downfall, the novel cannot conform to the traditional bildungsroman form, despite its focus on adolescence; it is, on the contrary, an un-bildungsroman, where we watch the protagonist retreat further and further away from finding her own identity as an adult. The adults surrounding her are caught in their generation, trapped in their own patriarchal and intolerant mind-set, incapable of supporting her tenuous sanity whilst being far too sure of their own. Their ignorance working alongside her sensitive mind combine to create the slow descent of calm chaos: 'the bell jar, with its stifling distortions' (Plath 1996: 230) descends, at once both numbing and brutal. The bell jar holds together the otherwise erratic narrative together; the metaphor lies beneath the entire novel in the way it lies just beneath the surface of Esther's mind. Plath's tale of a girl all too susceptible to the pressures of the unjust society around her is harrowing, despite her alleged recovery; the reader is left questioning what they know of gender roles and society, of the adolescent mind, and of mental illness. One brief glimpse of the bell jar is all that is needed to understand the grave impact of a society that cannot hear the cries of its own children.