CliffsNotes on Plath's The Bell Jar

The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background.

CliffsNotes on The Bell Jar takes you into the life of Esther Greenwood: she is a college girl, a good student, a talented writer, and a fashion magazine contest winner; she is the well-bred oldest child in a typical family with two children, a clever games player, a semi-liberated budding intellectual, and a confused late adolescent. Also, Esther is a mental patient. Follow the progression of Esther's life as she struggles to grow up in the early 1950s in an America where women's roles were rigidly assigned.

Summaries and commentaries will help you understand the social and emotional pressures facing Esther. You'll also gain insight into the life and background of the author, Syliva Plath. Other features that help you study include

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  Character analyses of major players
  
  
  
• An analysis of the individual versus society in The Bell Jar
  
  
• An examination of Sylvia Plath's own tragic history
  
  
• Sample essay questions