To what extent did the patriarchal society of 1960’s Americaudaffect The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath?

摘要

In this study, the effect of patriarchal society in 1960’s America to Sylvia Plath’s TheudBell Jar is investigated through excerpts from her only book The Bell Jar and herudjournals that parallel her semi-autobiographical character Esther Greenwood. In earlyud1960’s America, the patriarchal society manifested itself in such a way that limitedudthe career choices of women. The phenomena ‘The Suburban Housewife Syndrome’udwas also coined at the same decade by Betty Freidan as ‘the entrapment of highlyudeducated, intellectual, aspiring women to the limited, domestic life by the post-WorldudWar II society’. Her book ‘The Feminine Mystique’ was considered to beudcontroversial and infuriating, however, in a very short period of time it became audmilestone in Women’s Rights’ movement. In spite of the worldwide acclaim of theudbook, millions of college-educated American Women were still waiting to be wakenudup from their mundane lives as home-makers. Sylvia Plath, a young successfuludAmerican poet committed suicide at the same year by putting her head in a gas oven.udHer suicide was almost symbolic; the oven, a symbol of domestic life. Herudconfessional poems reflected her despair and anxiety over her refusal to choose butudtry to have both. However the personal and social conflicts she faced, contributed toudher mental breakdown, and eventually suicide.