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The Limitations of Language in Sylvia Plath's "The Bell Jar"
by Janet Stallard
Issue date: 12/1/08 Section: Fall 2008
the limitations of language in sylvia plath's the bell jar
janet stallard
When The Bell Jar was published in January 1963, Sylvia Plath had less than a month to live. The struggle of those last few weeks has been immortalized
and perpetuated in biographies, literary criticism, and the 2001 film Sylvia. The harsh winter that shut down London, the struggle of caring for two young children, concerns for money, estrangement from Ted Hughes, her suicide-all of these images
color our perceptions of The Bell Jar. Some would even argue that this story has eclipsed the plot of The Bell Jar. The French literary theorist Gerard Genette contends narrators are frames for larger cultural contexts, and it seems the ultimate narrator of The Bell Jar could be the legend of the last few weeks of a desperate and depressed Plath. Therefore, it is na've to think we can discuss Sylvia Plath without referencing her biography. Yet, it is unreasonable to imagine there is nothing else to say without this context. The Bell Jar is rich with social commentary, particularly in its discussion of the roles of language and identity formation. This is obscured when we do not consider
the larger implications of Plath's work. Biography is a piece of the puzzle, but it is by no means the ultimate piece or perhaps even the largest. The Bell Jar can be read as a cautionary tale for women. After all, if every little boy can grow up to be president, what can every little girl be? How does she reconcile this conversation in modern culture? How does this discourse relate to the choices available to her? One particular reason Plath's protagonist struggles with this dynamic is her choice to see identity as being defined through language. A wife, a professional, an artist-all are exclusive ta-
-sks to Esther Greenwood. She sees these words as tightly contained nouns with strict denotations. There seems to be no conversation for reconciling multiple options. Language,
therefore, becomes an instrument of constriction, translating the limitations of expressing and understanding our own experiences.
janet stallard
When The Bell Jar was published in January 1963, Sylvia Plath had less than a month to live. The struggle of those last few weeks has been immortalized
and perpetuated in biographies, literary criticism, and the 2001 film Sylvia. The harsh winter that shut down London, the struggle of caring for two young children, concerns for money, estrangement from Ted Hughes, her suicide-all of these images
color our perceptions of The Bell Jar. Some would even argue that this story has eclipsed the plot of The Bell Jar. The French literary theorist Gerard Genette contends narrators are frames for larger cultural contexts, and it seems the ultimate narrator of The Bell Jar could be the legend of the last few weeks of a desperate and depressed Plath. Therefore, it is na've to think we can discuss Sylvia Plath without referencing her biography. Yet, it is unreasonable to imagine there is nothing else to say without this context. The Bell Jar is rich with social commentary, particularly in its discussion of the roles of language and identity formation. This is obscured when we do not consider
the larger implications of Plath's work. Biography is a piece of the puzzle, but it is by no means the ultimate piece or perhaps even the largest. The Bell Jar can be read as a cautionary tale for women. After all, if every little boy can grow up to be president, what can every little girl be? How does she reconcile this conversation in modern culture? How does this discourse relate to the choices available to her? One particular reason Plath's protagonist struggles with this dynamic is her choice to see identity as being defined through language. A wife, a professional, an artist-all are exclusive ta-
-sks to Esther Greenwood. She sees these words as tightly contained nouns with strict denotations. There seems to be no conversation for reconciling multiple options. Language,
therefore, becomes an instrument of constriction, translating the limitations of expressing and understanding our own experiences.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
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posted 12/24/09 @ 2:10 PM EST
I think that this book is worth reading.
lola
posted 3/11/10 @ 10:09 AM EST
I would like to read this book.I hope it would be interesting for me!!!
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