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Powell's Staff:
Five Book Friday: In Memoriam
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Every year, the booksellers at Powell’s submit their Top Fives: their five favorite books that were released in 2023. It’s a list that, when put together, shows just how varied and interesting the book tastes of Powell’s booksellers are. I highly recommend digging into the recommendations — we would never lead you astray — but today...
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Brontez Purnell:
Powell’s Q&A: Brontez Purnell, author of ‘Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt’
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Rachael P.:
Starter Pack: Where to Begin with Ursula K. Le Guin
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Customer Comments
Maddy Englert has commented on (2) products
The Bell Jar
by
Sylvia Plath
Maddy Englert
, April 03, 2014
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath is a well written novel that emphasizes the importance of freedom in life. By taking readers into a world where both mental and physical freedoms are at risk, this novel stresses freedom’s importance to individuals. The Bell Jar also emphasizes the chaos that can occur once freedom is taken away from an individual. The main character, Esther, experiences life while battling depression. However, this disease does not stop Plath from connecting readers to Esther. The ability to feel as though you are experiencing the disease right along with Esther is one of the most unique pieces that Plath was able to portray. This novel exceeded far beyond my expectations, and I believe it will satisfy any reader wanting to look at life through a different lens. Through Plath’s use of flashback and similes, she was able to create a fantastic novel that pulls readers right in, making them feel as though they are living through the same roller coaster of depression that Esther experiences. When reading this novel, it is important to keep in mind the time period that it was written in. Published in 1971, the roles between women and men in society were different from what they are today. At this time, it was expected of women to be mothers and perform the domestic duties in life. Men however, had the freedom to choose what they wanted to do as long as they supported their family’s needs. These roles shaped Esther’s view on physical freedoms, without realizing the mental freedoms depression was taking away from her. “So I began to think maybe it was true that when you were married and had children it was like being brainwashed, and afterward you went about numb as a slave in some private, totalitarian state”(69). This idea of having freedom taken away from Esther comes up multiple times throughout the novel, demonstrating the more powerful role men in society had at the time when this novel was written. From start to finish, readers witness Esther’s major transformations caused by her depression. Unlike many novels where coming of age starts at the bottom and works its way to the top, this novel’s coming of age works like a roller coaster, traveling in ups and downs all the way through. Readers watch as Esther falls from a happy time without depression to the moment when she hits rock bottom. “Then, at the rim of vision, it gathered itself, and in one sweeping tide, rushed me to sleep”(138). After Esther’s weakest moments, readers are then carried through her days on the road to recovery. “I had pretended I didn’t know why they were moving me from the hospital in my home town to a city hospital, to see what they would say”(143). While reading through this journey, the most remarkable aspect is how Plath is able to make the reader feel as though they are the main character. Plath’s use of flashbacks allow enough context for readers to infer what characters and events led Esther to depression. Plath’s use of similes also allows readers to compare their personal emotions to Esther’s depressed thoughts, allowing readers to experience Ether’s life with her. “I felt like a racehorse in a world without racetracks or a champion college footballer suddenly confronted by Wall Street and a business suit, his days of glory shrunk to a little gold cup on his mantel with a date engraved on it like the date on a tombstone”(62). This simile allows readers to relate their feelings to Esther’s feelings and try to understand what Ether’s life would be like. Personally, I feel that the author’s goal was to give readers the opportunity to live through a life with depression. With that goal in mind, Sylvia Plath accomplished it far above my expectations. I was amazed at Plath’s ability to allow me to relate to a character that was sick with depression so closely and understand what she was going through. Sylvia Plath was also successfully able to give readers enough background information through her use of flashback without explaining every detail that Esther had ever experienced. Readers were able to realize at what points Esther was either slowly falling or recovering from depression without having unrealistic major events that transformed her. This made the journey seem realistic to what a similar situation in life today would be like. By the great detail Plath provided in Esther’s personal thoughts and opinions, both her actions as well as her surroundings were convincing. When understanding the time that this novel was written, the concept of freedom and Esther’s constant fear of losing this freedom was understandable. This was successfully connected to Esther’s negative view on the majority of people and events in her life due to her sickness. Overall, I would highly recommend this novel to anyone in search of a novel that gives you a new perspective on life by taking you into a world where you live as though you are suffering from depression. Sylvia Plath’s novel The Bell Jar is a novel that questions the idea of freedom, both mental and physical. This idea of freedom is shown through the lack of physical freedoms Esther felt she had in the world, as well as the mental freedoms taken away from her due to her depression. Plath’s ability to successfully relate readers to Esther and her depression allows readers to understand the importance of freedom in life, as well as the problems that arise when this freedom is taken away.
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(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
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The Bell Jar
by
Sylvia Plath
Maddy Englert
, March 10, 2014
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath is a well written novel that emphasizes the importance of freedom in life. By taking readers into a world where both mental and physical freedoms are at risk, this novel stresses freedom’s importance to individuals. The Bell Jar also emphasizes the chaos that can occur once freedom is taken away from an individual. The main character, Esther, experiences life while battling depression. However, this disease does not stop Plath from connecting readers to Esther. The ability to feel as though you are experiencing the disease right along with Esther is one of the most unique pieces that Plath was able to portray. This novel exceeded far beyond my expectations, and I believe it will satisfy any reader wanting to look at life through a different lens. Through Plath’s use of flashback and similes, she was able to create a fantastic novel that pulls readers right in, making them feel as though they are living through the same roller coaster of depression that Esther experiences. When reading this novel, it is important to keep in mind the time period that it was written in. Published in 1971, the roles between women and men in society were different from what they are today. At this time, it was expected of women to be mothers and perform the domestic duties in life. Men however, had the freedom to choose what they wanted to do as long as they supported their family’s needs. These roles shaped Esther’s view on physical freedoms, without realizing the mental freedoms depression was taking away from her. “So I began to think maybe it was true that when you were married and had children it was like being brainwashed, and afterward you went about numb as a slave in some private, totalitarian state”(69). This idea of having freedom taken away from Esther comes up multiple times throughout the novel, demonstrating the more powerful role men in society had at the time when this novel was written. From start to finish, readers witness Esther’s major transformations caused by her depression. Unlike many novels where coming of age starts at the bottom and works its way to the top, this novel’s coming of age works like a roller coaster, traveling in ups and downs all the way through. Readers watch as Esther falls from a happy time without depression to the moment when she hits rock bottom. “Then, at the rim of vision, it gathered itself, and in one sweeping tide, rushed me to sleep”(138). After Esther’s weakest moments, readers are then carried through her days on the road to recovery. “I had pretended I didn’t know why they were moving me from the hospital in my home town to a city hospital, to see what they would say”(143). While reading through this journey, the most remarkable aspect is how Plath is able to make the reader feel as though they are the main character. Plath’s use of flashbacks allow enough context for readers to infer what characters and events led Esther to depression. Plath’s use of similes also allows readers to compare their personal emotions to Esther’s depressed thoughts, allowing readers to experience Ether’s life with her. “I felt like a racehorse in a world without racetracks or a champion college footballer suddenly confronted by Wall Street and a business suit, his days of glory shrunk to a little gold cup on his mantel with a date engraved on it like the date on a tombstone”(62). This simile allows readers to relate their feelings to Esther’s feelings and try to understand what Ether’s life would be like. Personally, I feel that the author’s goal was to give readers the opportunity to live through a life with depression. With that goal in mind, Sylvia Plath accomplished it far above my expectations. I was amazed at Plath’s ability to allow me to relate to a character that was sick with depression so closely and understand what she was going through. Sylvia Plath was also successfully able to give readers enough background information through her use of flashback without explaining every detail that Esther had ever experienced. Readers were able to realize at what points Esther was either slowly falling or recovering from depression without having unrealistic major events that transformed her. This made the journey seem realistic to what a similar situation in life today would be like. By the great detail Plath provided in Esther’s personal thoughts and opinions, both her actions as well as her surroundings were convincing. When understanding the time that this novel was written, the concept of freedom and Esther’s constant fear of losing this freedom was understandable. This was successfully connected to Esther’s negative view on the majority of people and events in her life due to her sickness. Overall, I would highly recommend this novel to anyone in search of a novel that gives you a new perspective on life by taking you into a world where you live as though you are suffering from depression. Sylvia Plath’s novel The Bell Jar is a novel that questions the idea of freedom, both mental and physical. This idea of freedom is shown through the lack of physical freedoms Esther felt she had in the world, as well as the mental freedoms taken away from her due to her depression. Plath’s ability to successfully relate readers to Esther and her depression allows readers to understand the importance of freedom in life, as well as the problems that arise when this freedom is taken away.
Was this comment helpful? |
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|
No
(1 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment