The Bell Jar

By Sylvia Plath
New York : Heinemann, 1971.

This work chronicles the life and slow decent into madness of Esther Greenwood, whom it is believed reflects the author and her own life. The way Plath describes the slow eating away of Esther by her depression and mental illnesses is not something easily digestible and reminds the reader that mental illness is real and a deeply horrible thing.

"Such deep penetration into the dark and harrowing corners of the psyche is an extraordinary accomplishment and has made The Bell Jar a haunting American classic."  (x)

One of the most unsettling things about this novel is that it is regarded as semi-autobiographical so the events and haunting feelings displayed eat away at the reader while they imagine how horrible it is to slowly fall into that darkness. However the way Plath describes the bleak slide into insanity has created a greater understanding of mental illness.

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