Essay Database

The Bell Jar was first published in London in January 1963 by William Heinemann Limited publishers under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas, for Sylvia Plath questioned the literary value of the novel and did not believe that it was a "serious work." More importantly, the novel had numerous parallels to the life of its author. Both Sylvia Plath and her fictional counterpart, Esther Greenwood, lost their father at early ages and hail from the Boston area. Sylvia …

…the novel reached America in 1971, Sylvia Plath was a household name and confessional literature was in vogue. The feminist movement, fascination with death, and mental illness were at that time contemporary preoccupations. A definitive change occurred during this first publication. Despite some negative reviews, The Bell Jar quickly became the definitive female rite-of-passage novel, fulfilling the British critical idea that it would become a touchstone for American youth akin to The Catcher in The Rye.