Bell Jar By Sylvia Plath Essay, Research Paper
The Bell Jar Esther and Patriarchy? The Bell Jar? , which is written by
Sylvia Plath, indicates that patriarchal society has many effects on adult females. Work force
have power over adult females in both direct and indirect ways. In this paper, I would
like to concern about Esther and patriarchate. Work force use their power straight to
oppress Esther. Besides they use power indirectly to put up societal values and
sexual stereotyping which have many effects on Esther. To get down with work forces? s
power that affects Esther straight, there is the issue of sexual favoritism
that is shown evidently in the novel. In the patriarchal society, work forces are
in-control. Besides, work forces have adult females in their power. Womans are oppressed by work forces. As
for Esther, work forces have many effects on her life. There are many work forces who oppress
her. First, Marco, who falls in love with his cousin, has about raped her. He
can? t hold his want fulfilled because his cousin is traveling to be a nun. Esther
doesn? Ts have any thought that a adult male who falls in love with his cousin will see
her as a stuff. He curses the word? slattern? at her. She is really
disappointed. The thing he does with her is one of the causes that make her
interrupt down. Second, Irwin, whom Esther meets at the library, doesn? Ts have
duty. Esther wants to acquire rid of her virginity. Therefore, she decides to
seduce Irwin because of his qualities. He is the professor and already has a
girlfriend. ? I felt the first adult male I sleep with must be intelligent, so I
would esteem him? I besides needed person rather experienced to do up for my
deficiency of it? Then, to be on the safe side, I wanted person I didn? T know and
wouldn? T go on cognizing? ? ( P.186 ) . After Esther slumber with Irwin, she has
bleeding and must travel to see a physician. Irwin makes her feel defeated
because he isn? T responsible for the measure for physician? s hardening and medical examination.
Alternatively of experiencing guilty, he asks her to see him once more. Third, Doctor Gordon,
who is a head-shrinker, hurts Esther by utilizing daze interventions. What Esther
truly wants is warmness, but Doctor Gordon doesn? t give it to her. He
diagnoses her unwellness and uses the method of bring arounding without refering her head.
? Then something dead set down and took clasp of me and agitate me like the terminal of
the universe. Whee-ee-ee-ee-ee, it shrilled, ? , and with each flash a great jar
drubbed me till I thought my castanetss would interrupt and the sap fly out of me like a
split plant. ? ( P.117-118 ) . She feels awful but she doesn? T daring to state
Doctor Gordon. She has to maintain her feeling secret. If she doesn? t do like
that, she might hold much more shock intervention. Dr. Gordon: ? How do you
experience? ? Esther: ? All right? But I didn? T. I felt awful. ( P.118 ) Esther
goes to see Doctor Gordon in order to happen person whom can assist her and
understand her. She finds a adult male who tortures her. Alternatively of doing her comfort,
he hurts her organic structure. He has the right to bring around her by utilizing daze intervention. We can
see that Doctor Gordon is a adult male and a physician. In Patriarchal society, he has
power over Esther who is a adult female and a patient. Work force are able to make what they
wish with Esther. Furthermore, work forces? s power which affects Esther indirectly ;
there are many societal values that make adult females have bounds. Work forces are individuals who
fix adult females? s functions and responsibilities in the society. They set up these societal values
and sexual stereotyping which have many effects on Esther. First of all, adult females
are non expected to hold endowment and intelligence more than work forces. Although adult females
have ability to analyze, academic universe is non a field of adult females. Esther can? t be
extremely successful in her calling. In the patriarchal society, work forces have aut
hority.
They will find whether adult females can populate in work forces? s field. ? After my month
on the magazine I? vitamin D applied for a summer school class with a celebrated author
where you sent in the manuscript of a narrative and he read it and said whether you
were good plenty to be admitted into his class. ? ( P.84 ) Though Esther surveies
really good, she is rejected to analyze in the authorship class by a professor, who is
a adult male. ? I think I should state you right off, ? she said, and I could see bad
intelligence in the set of her cervix, ? you didn? Ts make that composing course. ? ( P.93 )
In add-on, when Esther has the daze intervention by Doctor Gordon, she feels
guilty. She has internalized values, which are patriarchal values. ? I wondered
what awful thing it was that I had done. ? ( P.118 ) We can connote that she
thinks she is guilty because she has endowment and ability, surveies well, and wants
to be poet or professor. Then, she feels that she deserves to hold penalty
because she doesn? T suppose to remain beyond adult females? s countries. The restrictions on
Esther? s hereafter aspirations because she is a adult female. Furthermore, adult females are expected
to be married womans and female parents. These are functions and responsibilities which adult females are supposed to
be. Social values that are established by work forces are prevailed people? s ideas
and attitudes toward adult females. ? Mrs. Willard said, ? What a adult male is is an pointer
into the hereafter and what a adult female is is the topographic point the pointer shoots off, ? ?
( P.58 ) Mrs. Willard accepts wholly the functions and responsibilities which are fixed by
societal values. Unlike Mrs. Willard, Esther wants to unite the characters of
homemaker and working adult female together. She wants to be more than ordinary
homemaker. ? I wanted alteration and exhilaration and to hit off in all waies
myself, like the coloured pointers from a Fourth of July rocket. ? ( P.68 ) There is
sarcasm in the novel because no affair how Esther is great, she ends up with
lunacy. Besides, adult females are expected to be virgin before they get married. In
the novel, there are many parts that emphasize on the subject of adult females? s
celibacy. For illustration, Buddy tells her non to kip with other adult male until she
gets married with him, but he can kip with other adult female. He has dual
criterion. Esther can? t base with his lip service and wants to go forth him. As for
Eric, he doesn? T want to get married adult female who isn? t virgin. ? if he loved
anybody he would ne’er travel to bed with her. He? d go to a prostitute if he had to and
maintain the adult female ha loved free of all that dirty business. ? ( P.64 ) Incidentally,
her female parent sends her some article that is about reserving virginity before
merry. Peoples thought that adult females should kip with her hubby merely. Social
values in the patriarchal universe, adult females will be condemned when they do incorrect, but
work forces won? T. ? of class they would seek to carry a miss to hold sex and state
they would get married her later, but every bit shortly as she gave in, they would lose all
regard for her and get down stating that if she did that with them she would make
that with other work forces and they would stop up by doing her life miserable. ? In
the patriarchal society, work forces are powerful. All societal values come from work forces. They
find what adult females can make and what adult females can? t. They want adult females to be virgin
before marry. Work force can gull around but adult females can? t. In decision, Esther? s
idea and feeling are the other side of adult females? s experiences. There should be
gender justness in society. It is unjust for adult females to hold bounds while work forces are
free. Womans should hold equality every bit same as work forces. Besides adult females should hold more
opportunities to take callings, which they like. If adult females have more chances,
she might non hold subjugation that drives them depress and loony.
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