How Plath Creates and Exposes Generational Influence
In the novel The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, we see the protagonist Esther undergo serious mental health issues and face depression in an era that is not very accepting or even aware of struggles like these. Over and over again we see characters ranging from therapists to romantic partners who push down or simply don't understand these struggles and how they influence Esther's mental state. Unsurprisingly, considering the fact that she raised her, Esther's mother has the strongest influence on Esther's personality. Being born and raised in an era with even less awareness regarding mental health, her parenting style is unprepared to help Esther's as she battles with depression during a major coming-of-age moment in her life. While her mother's actions in the book with regard to her condition may seem hollow and detached, it's not for a lack of trying. Her mother doesn't seem to be unempathetic for the purposes of hurting Esther in any way (although it may come off that way), but rather because that's all she knows how to do. With the very outdated and very limited knowledge of mental health and raising a child that comes from her generation, she is essentially useless when it comes to being an ally to Esther. This leads to major conflict between the two that exposes the generational issues of her mother's era, but also allows Esther to learn from these mistakes and become a stronger person going forward.
Esther's mother's approach to mental health is very much a product of early 20th century ideology. Her way of looking at and helping Esther through her struggles with depression can be almost entirely summed up when she says "I'm glad you decided to be alright". The harmful implication here of course is that something is inherently wrong with her. This statement also assumes that Esther has complete control over her mental state and that whenever she finally feels like "snapping out of it", she can. This notion belittles Esther's depression and causes her to feel like a burden as well as feel alone in her struggle.
In the novel we also see Esther's mother centering Esther's depression around herself by constantly asking questions like "where did I go wrong", which causes a lot of emotional distress to Esther during a low point in her life. This statement implies that 1. Esther is now messed up or broken (this goes back to the idea that Esther is inherently wrong in her current state) and 2. takes attention away from the real issue which is focusing on helping Esther. It also causes Esther to start feeling guilt over making her mother feel like a failure and as though she has let her down by not turning out the way she wanted her to. This guilt combined with a time when she can barely manage her own mental health, hinders her recovery and worsens her mental health.
Statements like the two above during Esther's struggle and time in the asylum are what contribute to the escalating disdain and disconnect we see Esther feel with her mother throughout the novel. Whether Esther truly hates her mother or not, her mother's repeated failure to empathize and even worsen her mental state while she stayed at the mental institution creates a lasting detachment between the two. It's worth mentioning that Esther also fails to acknowledge any distress from her mother's side (or empathize with anyone at all for that matter) during her struggle which contributed to their eventual detachment. However, the real culprit of the ideology behind these harmful statements is, again, the fault of generations before her which have normalized the suppression of mental wellbeing. Esther’s emotional detachment is at its root the result of the influence of past generations, not just the influence of her mother.
After many years in the mental institution and game-changing help from Dr. Nolan, the book ends up with her seemingly coming out of the novel a stronger, more independent person, able to overcome the generational ideological influence of the past. And, looking at this book from an even broader perspective we see how Esther, and thus Sylvia Plath, has become their own influential voice through The Bell Jar where she can help, by sharing her story, others in similar situations by bringing awareness to mental health and the whole "coming of age" process.
Esther's mother's approach to mental health is very much a product of early 20th century ideology. Her way of looking at and helping Esther through her struggles with depression can be almost entirely summed up when she says "I'm glad you decided to be alright". The harmful implication here of course is that something is inherently wrong with her. This statement also assumes that Esther has complete control over her mental state and that whenever she finally feels like "snapping out of it", she can. This notion belittles Esther's depression and causes her to feel like a burden as well as feel alone in her struggle.
In the novel we also see Esther's mother centering Esther's depression around herself by constantly asking questions like "where did I go wrong", which causes a lot of emotional distress to Esther during a low point in her life. This statement implies that 1. Esther is now messed up or broken (this goes back to the idea that Esther is inherently wrong in her current state) and 2. takes attention away from the real issue which is focusing on helping Esther. It also causes Esther to start feeling guilt over making her mother feel like a failure and as though she has let her down by not turning out the way she wanted her to. This guilt combined with a time when she can barely manage her own mental health, hinders her recovery and worsens her mental health.
Statements like the two above during Esther's struggle and time in the asylum are what contribute to the escalating disdain and disconnect we see Esther feel with her mother throughout the novel. Whether Esther truly hates her mother or not, her mother's repeated failure to empathize and even worsen her mental state while she stayed at the mental institution creates a lasting detachment between the two. It's worth mentioning that Esther also fails to acknowledge any distress from her mother's side (or empathize with anyone at all for that matter) during her struggle which contributed to their eventual detachment. However, the real culprit of the ideology behind these harmful statements is, again, the fault of generations before her which have normalized the suppression of mental wellbeing. Esther’s emotional detachment is at its root the result of the influence of past generations, not just the influence of her mother.
After many years in the mental institution and game-changing help from Dr. Nolan, the book ends up with her seemingly coming out of the novel a stronger, more independent person, able to overcome the generational ideological influence of the past. And, looking at this book from an even broader perspective we see how Esther, and thus Sylvia Plath, has become their own influential voice through The Bell Jar where she can help, by sharing her story, others in similar situations by bringing awareness to mental health and the whole "coming of age" process.
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