Depression in Sylvia Plaths The Bell Jar - 1125 Words

Depression can be defined as part of a psychological state of mind that a person might encounter. Most famously recognized psychiatrist Sigmund Freud is known for his Psychodynamic theory. His psychoanalysis theory is known to be successful for treating patients with mental illness. Sylvia Plath, the author of the Bell Jar, makes the main character Esther go through a psychological transformation. Esther’s transformation can be realized through Freud’s psychoanalysis theory as the story unfolds from the beginning to end. The influences of people and events around Esther have affected her transformation. The events in New York introduce us to the beginning of Esther’s psychological transformation. The story first inaugurates with the†¦show more content†¦Esther is experiencing repression because she is fighting the two different thoughts in her mind. Her state of repression is leading her to become depress. When Esther first arrives in New York, she doesnt have the same reaction that most of the other girls around her have. She enforces this reaction when she says â€Å"I guess I should have been excited the way most of the other girls were, but I couldnt get myself to react.† From a psychological perspective we could tell that something is deeply wrong with her. She is isolating herself from others. According to Saul McLeod, the author of the article called â€Å"Psycho dynamic Approach† states that â€Å"our behaviors and feelings as adults are powerfully affected by the unconscious thoughts† . This means that unconscious are a product of behaviors and feelings. She is unable to think in a rational way because of her inability to control the balance between her conscious and unconscious thoughts. Influences can be either positive or negative but in this case it affects her negatively. Esther’s encounter with Doreen has negatively affected her life. Doreen i s a college girl who has also won the fashion magazine contest that Esther has. Esther is introduced to a guy named Lenny that Doreen knows, Doreen along with Esther go to Lenny’s apartment. Doreen and Lenny dance and fool around while Esther leaves to the hotel. Disturbed by the scene that is going on, she decides to leave. EstherShow MoreRelatedSylvia Plath s Literary Escape1203 Words   |  5 PagesSylvia Plath’s Literary Escape Sylvia Plath wrote The Bell Jar to liberate her from her past. This novel is the autobiographical tale of a young Sylvia Plath. Through Esther Greenwood, Sylvia manages to narrate almost exactly her life story. This narration includes her college days, her stay at the all-women’s college, her friendships with Doreen and Buddy Willard, her stay at a mental institution after a suicide attempt and even her deflowering. Sylvia penned the story in England under the pseudonymRead MoreThe Cause Of Sylvia Plath s Depression1447 Words   |  6 PagesThe Causes of Sylvia Plath’s Depression When reading any works by Sylvia Plath, it is easy to focus on the depression of her writing. However, it is important to understand why she wrote most her works about depression. Plath based her works on her own life experiences. Sylvia Plath’s most commonly known book, The Bell Jar, is thought to be an autobiography. Aurelia Plath, Sylvia’s mother, published the book Letters Home, a collection of all the letters Sylvia wrote to her mother. The letters sheRead MoreBiography of Sylvia Plath942 Words   |  4 Pagestwentieth century, Sylvia Plath was highly esteemed by fans and fellow writers alike. Sylvia Plath’s parents, Aurelia Schober and Otto Plath, had met when Aurelia became Otto’s student at Boston University. Otto was a biology professor with an infatuation with bees; he had even published a book titled Bumblebees and their ways. Otto and Aurelia married in January of 1932, and by October of the same year Aurelia gave birth in Jamaica Plain, Massa chusetts to a daughter, Sylvia. Sylvia spent her childhoodRead MoreSylvia Plath s The Bell Jar, And Her Other Works1413 Words   |  6 Pagesend† (Goodreads). In Sylvia Plath’s final days, the things she desired, did in fact annihilate her. Sylvia Plath desired perfectionism and the need to feel like she acquired a meaning. As interpreted in the novel, The Bell Jar, and her other works; Sylvia Plath parallels her own traumatic path throughout her life and her downward spiral during the 1950s, explaining her struggle with her mental suffocation and the inexorable depression that contaminated her mind. Sylvia Plath’s emotional turmoilRead MoreRole of Food in Sylvia Plaths The Bell Jar610 Words   |  3 PagesThe Bell Jar Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar is rich with an array of motifs, all which serve to sustain the novel’s primary themes. A motif particularly prevalent within the first half of the novel involves food, specifically Esther Greenwood’s relationship with food. This peculiar relationship corroborates the book’s themes of Esther’s continuous rebirthing rituals, and of her extreme dissatisfaction. The interrelation with food functions in two distinct manners: literally and figuratively. ThisRead MoreBiography of Sylvia Plath1452 Words   |  6 PagesCritical Analysis Sylvia Plath, a great American author, focuses mostly on actual experiences. Plath’s poetry displays feelings and emotions. Plath had the ability to transform everyday happenings into poems or diary entries. Plath had a passion for poetry and her work was valued. She was inspired by novelists and her own skills. Her poetry was also very important to readers and critics. Sylvia Plath’s work shows change throughout her lifetime, relates to feelings and emotions, and focuses on dayRead MoreThe Life of Sylvia Plath1006 Words   |  5 PagesThe Life of Sylvia Plath Sylvia Plaths life, like her manic depression, constantly jumped between Heaven and Hell. Her seemingly perfect exterior hid a turbulent and deeply troubled spirit. A closer look at her childhood and personal experiences removes some element of mystery from her writings. One central character to Sylvia Plaths poems is her father, Professor Otto Emile Plath. Otto Plath was diabetic and refused to stay away from foods restricted by his doctor. As a resultRead MoreThe Bell Jar by Plath1220 Words   |  5 Pagestherapy. Her novel, The Bell Jar, is almost a self-biography with the veil of fiction over the story of Plath’s own life being so thin that her mother fought its publication (McCann 1631). Nevertheless, Plath’s immense hard work paid off and it was published. Writing was Plath’s passion and when she wrote, her life became an enthralling story. Sylvia Plath’s late teenage years, time right after college, and time in the mental hospital were all influential in writing The Bell Jar. Being recognized asRead MoreSylvia Plath s Life And Accomplishments974 Words   |  4 PagesSylvia Plath’s work is marked with her trademark style, one full of enigmatic analogies and ambiguous metaphors. Sadly though, the life of Sylvia Plath was indeed shorter than anyone expected. Nevertheless, in the thirty years Plath meandered through the world, she left an everlasting impact. Remembered as one of the most dynamic and admired poets of the twentieth century, Plath cultivated a literary community unlike any predecessor. Additionally, since a sizable portion of Plath’s work was readRead MoreEssay about Symbolism Within the Bell Jar Novel1672 Words   |  7 PagesSylvia Plath’s novel, â€Å"The Bell Jar†, tells a story of a young woman’s descent into mental illness. Esther Greenwood, a 19 year old girl, struggles to find meaning within her life as she sees a distorted version of the world. In Plath’s novel, different elements and themes o f symbolism are used to explain the mental downfall of the book’s main character and narrator such as cutting her off from others, forcing her to delve further into her own mind, and casting an air of negativity around her. Plath