The Bell Jar

Passage Summary: Gloria Steinem (1934-present) is an American feminist, journalist, author, and social-political activist. She gained national recognition as a leader of the “Second Wave” feminist movement in the 1960s and 1970s. On May 6th, 1970, Gloria Steinem stood before the Senate and delivered this speech, advocating for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and seeking to dispel myths about women.

When and How to Pair: Introduce this text before students read the novel, in order to provide them with context on some of the social issues that were current during the time The Bell Jar is set. Pair “Testimony before the Senate Hearings on the Equal Rights Amendment” with The Bell Jar and ask students to consider attitudes towards women in the 1950s and1960s in the United States, when Silvia Plath lived. What was expected of women in the past? What were those expectations based on? How might women respond to those expectations today?

Passage Summary: In the speech “Depression, The Secret We Share,” Andrew Solomon describes his experiences with depression and why some people are more resilient with the illness than others.

When and How to Pair: Have students read this text before beginning the novel in order to provide them with some psychological insight into depression and its effects through a first-hand account of the experiences associated with the condition. Pair “Depression, The Secret We Share” with The Bell Jar and ask students to consider the symptoms and effects of depression, especially as it becomes more apparent in the protagonist, Esther Greenwood.

Passage Summary: “The Elements of Success” examines three cultural traits that are said to illustrate the successfulness of different groups in America.

When and How to Pair: Introduce this text after students have read chapter three — when Esther has a conversation with Jay Cee about her future — in order to provide them with psychological ideas to help shape their analysis of the characters within the novel. Pair “The Elements of Success” with The Bell Jar: Chapter 3 and ask students to consider what, if anything, has motivated Esther to succeed in the past and how this will affect her future — how does Esther fit the success formula?

Passage Summary: In Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s poem “An Obstacle,” she urges us to remain strong when facing everyday obstacles. Gilman was writing as a feminist during a time when it was not socially acceptable to identify as such.

When and How to Pair: Introduce this text after students have read chapter 7, in order for them to draw thematic connections across genre. Pair “An Obstacle” with The Bell Jar: Chapter 7, and ask students to discuss the various obstacles or prejudices that limit people’s success. How does gender expectation and mental illness impede Esther from achieving happiness? How would you interpret her quote “I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree”?

Passage Summary: In “Coping Mechanisms,” the author explains the difference between adaptive and maladaptive coping mechanisms.

When and How to Pair: Introduce this text after students have completed chapter 13, in order to provide them with psychological insight into how people behave under emotional stress. Pair “Coping Mechanisms” with The Bell Jar and ask students to discuss how Esther manages, if at all, her depression—what types of coping methods does she use and why?

Passage Summary: In this famous soliloquy from Shakespeare's Hamlet, Hamlet contemplates suicide and poses the most important question one can ask: "To be or not to be?"

When and How to Pair: Introduce this text after students have read chapter 14, in order to encourage students to draw thematic connections across form and genre. Pair “To Be or Not to Be Soliloquy” with The Bell Jar and ask students to analyze themes around death and suicide. Ask students to compare the mindsets of these two main characters, Hamlet and Esther, and how they regard the idea of ending their own lives.

Passage Summary: In Emily Dickinson’s poem “I felt a Funeral, in my Brain,” a speaker describes the loss of something internal that affects them deeply.

When and How to Pair: Introduce this poem after students have completed Chapter 20, in order to encourage students to draw thematic connections across form and genre. Pair “I felt a Funeral, in my Brain (340)” with "The Bell Jar": Chapter 20 and ask students to consider the metaphorical meaning of the poem and to apply this to the novel, particularly focusing on Joan’s funeral and thematic ideas of depression and death — how is Esther Greenwood plagued by the presence of death? How does this presence affect her life and her future?

Passage Summary: In Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem “Sympathy,” Dunbar uses the experiences of a caged to bird to discuss the oppression of African Americans.

When and How to Pair: Have students read this poem after completing the novel, focusing particularly on instances in which the symbol of the bell jar is mentioned (such as in chapters 15, 18, and 20). Pair “Sympathy” with The Bell Jar and ask students to compare the symbols of the birdcage and the bell jar — how are the narrators affected by these objects? What do they represent?