The novel the Bell Jar was published before Sylvia Plath committed her forth suicide, which was successful eventually. As the only full-length novel she left on the world, some of its features such as the nature of autobiography, extreme theme and feminist philosophy have continuously attracted the attention of its readers and scholars all around the world. As a female writer with tragedy color, the intention of this novel of Sylvia Plath was to Βliberate herself from her pastΒ. With the narration of the unforeseen events she has been through in 953, she has demonstrated us the fact that the society was marked with post-war traumas. The social order needed to be restored urgently, the constraining power of social ideology on people, especially on women, had been strengthened. Social convention has legalized and naturalized the ideology of women being inferior to men through major social institutions like church, schools, hospitals, prisons, social media, traditions and even scientific theorists, like Freud. All the so-call social restored had became a huge spiritual cage, a bell jar, which was supposed to be used for observation in scientific field, for women, especially for well-educated, intellectual women. The title is her vivid criticism of the idea that women have been merchandised and treated as the sample from laboratory for science use. Plath narrates her experience through Esther, a young,intelligence, talented women she created, to narrate her misfortunes and struggles, to share her painful past
with the world. We could easily notice that Esther is a thoughts-active young lady who keeps thinking, asking questions, and making assumptions all the time. Her internship experience in a periodical office in New York makes her question her self-value, her romantic relationship with Buddy Willard makes her wonder her self-identification. Who am I? To whom I want to be? What does my existence mean to the society, to the world? Features of historical background are beyond evident to us as readers, which are discussed and criticized in base of two main foot-stones: the journey of self-identification of young ladies and their rebellious spirits against the patriarchal society of the time. Also, the novel is filled with the dissatisfaction to the reality and critical thinking on marriage. What kind of role does a woman play in marriage? Should woman lose herself in order to devote herself completely to her marriage? Are the answer to these question could only lead to the binary opposition, which is women could only be the angel in the house, otherwise they are madwomen in the attic? On other aspect, how deep does the psychological theories have the effect on the process of Plath shaping her characters? Comparing to the Freud theories at that time, the experience of Esther could be analyzed in terms of his theory of personalities as well. Unfortunately, Sylvia Plath herself failed to escape from her destiny of death, the rebirth of Esther Greenwood in the novel was actually the liberation from reality for Plath.