Document Type
Thesis
Degree
Bachelor of Arts in English
Advisor
James Tackach, Ph.D.
Abstract
While many audiences may read Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar and see a critique of feminism in the 1950s and 60s, there is a larger, subversive narrative about the effects of nature on the main character, Esther Greenwood. A close reading of The Bell Jar reveals that Esther is suffering from a lack of the natural world as she navigates the concrete jungle of New York City, which subsequently exacerbates her depression and disconnect from reality, and ultimately leads her to try to take her own life.
Recommended Citation
Wilkinson, Dorothy, "Paved Paradise and Pushed to Depression? The Role of Nature upon Anxiety and Depression in The Bell Jar" (2017). English Theses. 139.
https://docs.rwu.edu/english_theses/139
