The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In Sylvia Plath's novel The Bell Jar, the story tells of a very young woman, Esther, who has a seemingly perfect life. She is going to a very studious school on a scholarship, has a good relationship with her mother, and has a gift for writing. The only thing that is getting in the way of her happiness is the fact that she has chronic depression. Plath shows us that we need to live our life not worring about how others might want us to live it. "Oh, Elly'll come, won't you, Elly?" (13). This quote shows us how Esther worries more about what others want her to do than what she wants. "[As I sat there, unable to decide]" (77). This quote illustrates how yet agian Esther cannot think for her self. She is constantly, through the story, having to make decisions. Every one has to make decisions, if you cannot think for your self then the only opinion you will have of your self is the opinions that others have.
I really liked The Bell Jar because it slowly showed Esther lossing her mind. I liked how it was really easy to connect with Esther and what she was feeling. I did not like that it took a long time for the story to start moving. It was ver slow at the beginnning with a lot of details. Over all, I thought that the book was very moving and had an excellent plot and lesson. I am glad that I had discovered this book and had the chance to read it.

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