Conflict between Individuality and Conformity in The Bell...

Conflict between Individuality and Conformity in The Bell Jar In Sylvia Plaths novel The Bell Jar, Esther Greenwood seems incapable of healthy relationships with other women. She is trapped in a patriarchal society with rigid expectations of womanhood. The cost of transgressing social norms is isolation, institutionalization and a lost identity as woman. The struggle for an individual identity under this regime is enough to drive a person to the verge of suicide. Given the oppressive system under which she must operate, Esther Greenwoods problems with women stem from her conflict between individuality and conformity. In formulating my topic, I have relied on Adrienne Richs book Of Woman Born, as well as Cathy†¦show more content†¦There was the famous poet, and Philomena Guinea, and Jay Cee, and the Christian Scientist lady and lord knows who, and they all wanted to adopt me in some way, and, for the price of their care and influence, have me resemble them (180). Early in the novel, Esther expresses her dissatisfaction with the nature of mentoring, observing that all the old ladies I ever knew wanted to teach me something, but I suddenly didnt think they had anything to teach me (5). Added to the list of problematic mentors and mothers could be Mrs. Willard, with all of her negative associations as potential mother-in-law. She, like those mentioned specifically by Esther, represent conformity to others expectations. Esthers problem with mentoring and modeling is not limited to older women. It extends as well as Doreen and Betsy, who represent conflicting images of Esther. Doreen is referred to by the narrator as one of my troubles rather than one of her friends (4). Esther perceives Betsy as an attempted rescuer, saying she behaved as if she were trying to save me in some way (5). This resentment toward those women who try to help her can be read as a reflection of Esthers fear of conformity. The fullest expression of matrophobia comes with Esthers vocalization of her underlying feelings towards her mother: I hate her (166). The statement was provoked by an expression of maternal affection, namely bringing flowersShow MoreRelatedSylvia Plath s The Bell Jar960 Words   |  4 PagesIn Sylvia Plath’s novel, The Bell Jar, Plath expresses her opposition to the idea of men having complete control over every aspect of women’s lives by utilizing the narrator Esther; a radical feminist, to speak out against conformity in a society run by men. Esther represents everything controversial about domesticity in the twentieth century. Throughout the novel she touches on taboo subjects such as radical feminism, rape, and resistance of patriarchal dictates, all of which were touchy topicsRead MoreThe Destructive Effects Of The Imposition Of Conformity On Individuality3604 Words   |  15 PagesThe destructive effect of the imposition of conformity on individuality in 1960sà ¢â‚¬â„¢ America The 1960s was America’s golden era. America had emerged the dominant super power out of World War 2; idolized around the world it allowed for the creation of the famous ethos: the American Dream - the ideal by which America was seen as the land of equality and opportunity, where anyone was allowed to achieve his or her highest aspirations and goals. However despite the dream, American society would not allowRead MoreEssay on 103 American Literature Final Exam5447 Words   |  22 Pagesclassical Western cultural traditions 20. What is â€Å"double consciousness†? (A) W. E. B. Du Bois’s term for African Americans’ sense of â€Å"doubleness† when identifying themselves as simultaneously black and American—identities that were sometimes in conflict with one another (B) poet Mina Loy’s idea that women must simultaneously engage masculine and feminine emotions (C) German philosopher Karl Marx’s articulation of the fractured identity of the working class (D) playwright Eugene O’Neill’s theory