The Bell Jar And Edible Woman Essay, Research Paper
Patriarchy, Conformity and Individuality
as Expressed in The Bell Jar and Edible Woman
There has always been some amount of difficulty being a woman in our society, whether
it be in the present day or fifty years ago. There are many roles that women are expected to
play and many circumstances they have to face if they ?fail? to live out these certain roles. Our
world is filled with conformity, patriarchy and stereotypical attitudes that are so embedded into
us that it is near impossible to look past. The book, Edible Woman, written by Margaret Atwood,
is about a woman who is torn between the feminine stereotype of the Nineteen-sixties and her
own personality. This is very similar to Sylvia Plath?s, Bell Jar, which examines the life of a
woman suffering from the patriarchal society that offers her no positive role models. Both novels
have similar themes and characters as well as similar portrayal of men and other women and the
different roles that they play in society.
Marian McAlpin, the protagonist in Edible Woman is in her mid-twenties and is about to
get married to her young and immaculate fianc?, Peter. Marian is a graduate student who now
has an office job working for Seymour Surveys. She is now very upset because for the first time
in her life she has to make choices that are very important to the direction of her future but she
is absolutely overwhelmed by all of these choices. She begins very slowly to reject different types
of food until eventually there is nothing left that she is comfortable eating. She has the ongoing
feeling that it is she that is being consumed and grows very disturbed by the people around her.
Eventually, she sees that in order for her to be healthy, she has to take responsibility for her
actions and destroy the socially approved feminine role that has been forced upon her.
Esther Greenwood is faced with similar problems in the Bell Jar, where she is reaching a
point where she has to make many important decisions and to choose what path she wants to
take in life. Although she is very talented and has many options ahead of her, she lacks decent
role models and is unsatisfied with the positions that women are supposed to take in society.
Eventually she becomes very mentally strained and this leads into her ongoing struggle with
schizophrenia in mental hospitals. Esther sees herself mirrored in other characters in the novel,
especially a woman named Joan who is somewhat of a reversed parallel to her personality.
Eventually when Joan commits suicide, Esther is able to recover.
In both novels, it seems that there are many paths that both protagonists are
presented with. These paths are seen in the many different characters that Marian and Esther
are faced with in their lives and because none of the roles are very satisfying to them, this
causes very much rebellion and stress for both women. For Marian, these roles include her
widow landlady; a spinster who is presented to her by a woman organizing pention plans at
Seymour Surveys; a pure woman waiting for marriage and children like some of the ?office
virgins? who work with her; mother, represented by her friend Clara, who is so obviously wiped
out by her children she refers to them as ?leeches?; and the enlightened unmarried woman who
she associates with her roommate. ?…Marian McAlpin has a…problem with defining her own
reality in a puzzling and nonsensical environment.? Marian deals with much stress with the
realization that she has very little control over her life.
Esther Greenwood is also faced with many different characters that seem to split her
personality into two parts. At the beginning of the novel, there are two major paths that are
presented. One is presented by Doreen, a sassy, beautiful woman who is wild and sluttish. The
contrasting role to this is Betsy, who is polite, clean and pure. This is the initial conflict that
Esther finds hard to deal with. There are two sides to her personality and she can?t accept them
as both being an integrated part of herself. Other contrasting roles for Esther is the role of the
mother and the role of the career woman. There are many women who represent the pure
traditional role of motherhood and there are also many women who represent the independent,
exciting role of the career woman. For example, Jay Cee represents the role of the career
woman, and her mother and Buddy?s mother are maternal figures, but all of these women are
poor role models for Esther and she feels even more unsatisfied.
Being a mother means that you need to give up your career and independence and
being a career woman means that you are going to die alone and lonely. Both Marian and Esther
have difficulty finding the balance between these two roles. ?Marian, Duncan [Marion?s lover] and
Peter are all twenty-six, at the age when society expects them to abandon youthful freedom and
being to assume imprisoning life-time roles.? Because of the expectations of society, both of the
women feel that they don?t have any time and that they are being pressured into taking their
place.
In both novels, there is a very similar and interesting portrayal of men. The character
Lenny that is introduced near the beginning of the novel as Doreen?s boyfriend can very easily be
compared to Peter, Marian?s fiance. Both men are portrayed as ?predators? who have
apartments furnished with animal skins and horns. One of Peter?s hobbies is hunting and both
men have the stereotypical interest in electronics (Lenny?s DJ equipment and Peter?s Hi-fi
system and photography equipment) as well as their obvious interest in drinking. The societies
that are portrayed in the novels are very patriarchal and men are seen as consuming of women.
In Edible Woman, many of the male characters are seen to be feeding off the core of women.
Clara?s husband, Joe feels that he and his children have corrupted Clara by making her be a wife
and mother instead of letting her persue her intellectual interests. He states women should not
be allowed to go to university because when they begin a family, that life isn?t an option for them
anymore and they know what they are missing by being tied down with children and a husband.
In the Bell Jar, men are also seen as destructive to women and somewhat of a ball and
chain as opposed to a gentle anchor. Esther had difficulty dealing with her relationship to Buddy
Willard. She found that he wasn?t very supportive of her creativity and the idea of marrying him
was very smothering to her. The negative stance on premarital sex in her patriarchal society was
infuriating to Esther. She thought that Buddy was a hypocrite because it was acceptable for him
to have an affair with a waitress but on the other hand, if it was she who had the affair, she was
no longer pure and not a respectable woman. This double-standard was very restrictive to
Esther?s growth and development as a woman.
There is a point in both novels where it seems that both women have split themselves
into two personalities or two individuals. In the Bell Jar, Esther begins to take on an alternate
role as Elly Higginbottom from Chicago. It seems that she uses this personality when she wants
to escape from being Esther because she is unsatisfied with the way that her life is going. Being
Elly means that she can choose to be someone different and she feels that she has more control
in creating someone, rather than her life being out of her hands. The Edible Woman is broken into
three distinct parts. The first part is spoken in the first person, but as the novel goes on and
Marian loses more and more control, she switches over to the third person in the second part.
This represents the fact that Marian feels she has no control over what she is doing and she is
watching herself from the point of an onlooker. Only when Marian finally gets hold of herself and
her situation does the novel finally switch back into the first person for her final recovery and
conclusion.
Because of the oppressive society both women are living in, the become seriously ill and
although their illnesses are not similar, they are caused for the same reason. Many people
believe that Anorexia is caused by the person feeling that they have no control over their lives
and by monitoring their diet they can have control over themselves. Because Marian felt that all
of her decisions were being made for her, her body began to protest and by not eating, she was
controlling something that Peter never could. In the Bell Jar, Esther?s stress and oppressed
personality seemed to have caused her illness. With the overwhelming feeling that she was being
torn into every different direction, she increasingly became ill and eventually needed
hospitalization and serious medical treatment. The stress and lack of control caused both
women to break down and hit rock bottom before they finally realized that they had to take
responsibility for themselves and pull themselves into recovery.
Similarly to their illnesses, both women recovered in the same fashion. Marian finally
realized what she was feeling and she saw that she had to take control. She baked a cake to
resemble herself which represented the superficial feminine role that she was being forced to
take. By consuming the cake, she was destroying that image of herself and therefore by freeing
that part of her and the expectations of society, she was able to finally see herself as she was.
Esther finally recovered when Joan committed suicide. Joan was her ultimate reality and
strongest parallel to her own personality. It seemed that when Joan became more mentally
stable and improved in her condition, Esther?s sickness would get worse. This battle between
the two paths finally ended when the role of Joan was destroyed and Esther was allowed to
recover.
Both Edible Woman and the Bell Jar display the effects that a patriarchal society can
have on a woman. It shows the emotions that women feel or any person for that matter, when
their life is taken out of their hands and controlled by an outside force. Both novels question the
idea of conformity and the troubles that come from choosing preassigned roles. Both Esther and
Marian have to examine their personality and realize that in order for them to be healthy, they
must rebel against their oppressive society and live as individuals as opposed to living for
someone else or living as someone they are not.
Другие работы по теме:
Graffiti Art Essay Research Paper GraffitiArt is
Graffiti Art Essay, Research Paper Graffiti Art is expression through any medium. It carries meaning and expression of thoughts and ideas. It holds feeling and energy. It carries force and diversity that not only the artist can see. It carries individuality, reason and inspiration. It does not have to be understood by anyone else.
Harold And Maude Essay Research Paper Harold
Harold And Maude Essay, Research Paper Harold and Maude In the movie Harold and Maude, Harold is a young boy out of place in the world. He is obsessed with death and grief. Maude comes along and teaches him how to live his life and discover his true individuality. She adopts Harold and tries to bring him out of his depression and put him back in to the world as a person.
Transcendentalism Essay Research Paper Henry David Thoreau
Transcendentalism Essay, Research Paper Henry David Thoreau, one of the biggest Transcendentalists of his time, was very outspoken on the idea of conformity. He believed and advocated the idea that people should not be involved with government, transportation, or activities that might give the possibility for people to conform.
Adventures Of Huck Finn And Town Life
Essay, Research Paper In Mark Twain?s novel ?The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn? he talks about small town life in Southern Mississippi. He portrays it as gossipy, a place
Raden Saleh The Romantic Aristocrat From Indonesia
Essay, Research Paper Art: Raden Saleh: the romantic aristocrat from Indonesia Raden Saleh, born into a noble Javanese family in 1807, became a pioneer of modern Indonesian art. Although he was the first Indonesian artist to paint in the Western style, the fact that he expressed individuality and creativity in his work (as opposed to the traditional approach which stressed the reproduction of established forms and styles) showed the way for future Indonesian artists to express their own ideas more freely.
Rebellion And Conformity Essay Research Paper A
Rebellion And Conformity Essay, Research Paper A Japanese proverb says, The nail that sticks out will be hammered down. Society tries to place many regulations on us as individuals as to what is admissible and what is not. We must decide for ourselves whether to conform to such a social decorum. We are taught as soon as we are old enough to grasp the idea that it is undesirable to be unique and to avoid being different.
Conformity Essay Research Paper ConformityFeelings of disgust
Conformity Essay, Research Paper ConformityFeelings of disgust fill me when I observe the identity of an individual being crushed by the widespread need to fit in with society and be like everyone else. Differences in character, appearance, and emotion are created by unique pasts, and form the foundation for personal beliefs.
Critical Essay
– Brave New World Essay, Research Paper “Brave New World,” written by Aldous Huxley, is a literary work that is able to portray a society built on happiness but did not have individuality. The reason behind this is that it is a novel with which the reader can identify. Every individual values his own being, so the lack of individuality in the novel makes the reader fear this society.
Whitman Essay Research Paper Whitman
Whitman Essay, Research Paper Whitman’s Definition of Individuality During a lecture in 1907, William James said “the philosophy which is so important in each of us is not a technical matter; it is our more or less dumb sense of what life honestly means. It is only partly got from books; it is our individual way of just seeing and feeling the total push and pressure of the cosmos” (Bartlett 546) Individuality has been a prevalent theme in every type of literature for quite some time.
What Makes Smith Run Essay Research Paper
What makes Smith run??? The theme of honesty is widely developed in ?The Loneliness of the Long Distant Runner,? in which Smith tells us what honesty means according to him, and according to the governor. To be honest is interpreted by the governor as the easiest and most common way to win the race, to get out of the jail, and to have a family.
Conformity Essay Research Paper Andrew Worthington
Conformity Essay, Research Paper Andrew Worthington Conformity Conformity: the state of having changed yourself to match the appearances and/or personalities of those around you. In many cases, people feel the need to conform because they wish to feel a part of something bigger than them. This is unfortunate however, because it robs people of their individuality and their free will.
Conformity Essay Research Paper The more people
Conformity Essay, Research Paper The more people already agree upon or share a particular idea, the more easily a newcomer will in turn be be converted to that idea, and the more difficult it will be for one already converted to reject that idea
Conformity And Obedience Essay Research Paper Conformity
Conformity And Obedience Essay, Research Paper Conformity and Obedience The desire to be accepted and belong to a group is an undeniable human need. But how does this need affect an individual? Social psychologists have conducted numerous experiments and concluded that, through various forms of social influence, groups can change their members thoughts, feelings, and behavior.
Patriarchy In Kefka
’s Metamorphsis And Asian Cultures Essay, Research Paper (Although most cultures cannot be generalized with certain behaviours, however, certain Japanese traditions and values are common to all their people and is taught to them from
Moses Essay Research Paper In Genesis and
Moses Essay, Research Paper In Genesis and Exodus society, women could not be in positions of power or be as equals to men. Patriarchy was being recognized as an acceptable idea. Patriarchy, a form of social organization in which the male is recognized as the head of the society or tribe. Genesis and Exodus are biased in favor of men.
Overcoming Patriarchy Essay Research Paper Overcoming patriarchy
Overcoming Patriarchy Essay, Research Paper Overcoming patriarchy Wherever and whenever we look back in history, we see women being oppressed. Either in times of slavery, or in medieval times, or during the discovery of the Americas, women suffered the control of men in many ways. The term patriarchy in Greek refers to “the ruling of the father,” which translates directly into the ruling of the men over women.
Conformity Essay Research Paper Not ConformingIn my
Conformity Essay, Research Paper Not Conforming In my personal experience I consider myself a Farley normal human being that would generally follow most of the considered ?social norms? in our society. I take a shower every day, I don?t talk to strangers on the elevator, and I like to eat my cereal with milk.
Bartleby Essay Essay Research Paper Bartleby EssayDiscuss
Bartleby Essay Essay, Research Paper Bartleby Essay Discuss the conflict of the individuals’ need to communicate his individual thoughts and feelings versus the desire of society’s institutions, for conformity in Melville’s “Bartleby, the Scrivener” and Updike’s “A & P.”
Individuality Essay Research Paper
“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” Self-reliance creates individuality through believing in one’s self and defending those beliefs. The ability of one to be a non-conformist and make choices on their own, brings into being individuality.
Literary Analysis For Fahrenheit 451 Essay Research
Paper In Ray Bradury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451, there is a very commonly known as a book of science fiction book. More specifically one that refers to the future, and the consequences that can be inflicted as a result of the world having very little individuality. However, this book also has had a long lasting effect on the world as we know it to be presently.
1984 Essay Research Paper 1984 as an
1984 Essay, Research Paper 1984 as an Anti-Utopian Novel A utopia is an ideal or perfect community. While some writers have created fictional places that embody their ideals societies, other writers have written
Conformity Vs Individuality Essay Research Paper Conformity
Conformity Vs. Individuality Essay, Research Paper Conformity vs. Individuality “People don’t talk about anything…and nobody says anything different from anyone else” This quote, from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, demonstrates how this fictional society had no individuality, yet they expressed no disprovement of the conformity.
Illustrations Of Conformity Essay Research Paper Conformity
Illustrations Of Conformity Essay, Research Paper Conformity, perhaps the most cumbersome of all social pressures, appears many times throughout Literature. For instance, in Nathaniel Hawthorne s Young Goodman Brown, the element of conformity appears, as an excuse for the main character to engage in conduct that he realizes is wrong.
Odyssey Patriarchy Essay Research Paper Patriarchy in
Odyssey- Patriarchy Essay, Research Paper Patriarchy in The Odyssey Women were always looked upon as inferior to males since the very beginning of time. This method, called patriarchy, was much displayed in Homer s Odyssey. The Odyssey favored the male specie, and viewed the men as more dominant than the females.
Morality Essay Research Paper Morality is the
Morality Essay, Research Paper Morality is the cooperation of the part to the whole in order to instill conformity in everyone. How does society place morality on people? One of the major methods is through religion. Using the Devil as a catharsis, the single-shared belief in some type of God brings people together in conformity, ethically.
Comparison Of 1984 And Animal Farm Essay
, Research Paper Comparison of 1984 and Animal Farm In George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm, reality is defined by what the leaders tell the commoners it is, and the idea of individuality and free
The First Kiss And First Sin Of
Romeo And Juliet Essay, Research Paper The First Kiss and First Sin of Romeo and Juliet: Defying the Patriarchal and Religious Institutions In looking at marriages from a sixteenth-century point of view, one would observe, as discussed in class, that personal choice and romantic love were missing factors in the act of deciding on a spouse.
Blind Conformity In The Crucible Essay Research
Paper Crucible Essay – Blind Conformity Blind conformity to mass thought is an issue that greatly affected the events of the Salem Witch Trials in The Crucible. The tendency of the townspeople to conform blindly may have come from their religion. Puritanism did not encourage individuality, and anyone who was “different” was looked down upon.
One Flew Over The Cooko
’s Nest Essay, Research Paper One Flew Over The Cuckoo?s Nest In our study of this novel of rebellion, and protest. The ward in One Flew Over the Cuckoo?s Nest is microcosism of a much larger world, where
Shirley Jackson The Lottery Analysis Essay Research
Paper Repressing Challenges to Order The rigid structure of society reinforces order and promotes conformity of all classes, but an individual contradicting established customs poses a threat. Shirley Jackson, the author of The Lottery, conveys that rebellious impulses of humans are repressed by society to maintain a rigid social order.
A Separate Peace
– A Journey To Maturity Essay, Research Paper The novel A Separate Peace includes many important themes. The author, John Knowles, was able to make the book more realistic because of his personal experiences. Knowles, like the characters in the book attended a boarding school. Many of his dilemmas were similar to those of Gene and Finny.
No Name Woman Vs Barbie Doll Battle
Of The Millennia Essay, Research Paper Let’s face it. Society is chock full of subtle, and not-so-subtle, demands to conform to the “norm”, and going with the flow is a big part of life. Ideas of conformity are beaten into us as soon as we’re able to comprehend the world we live in. A large piece of the conformity pie deals with the role of the woman, and how she should look and act.