In one of the most misunderstood autobiographical novels, The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath chronicles the mental breakdown and attempted suicide of a young fictional embodiment of Plath herself, Ester Greenwood. Ester and Plath’s lives were extremely similar: both had perfect grades throughout their school careers, attended Smith College on scholarships, wrote poetry, and pursued English degrees. Both women did a summer internship in New York City, where they both faced internal turmoil that led to their suicide attempts and institutionalization. The Bell Jar focuses on Ester and Plath’s views on femininity, the struggle with their identities, and anger towards the social norms at that time. During the 1950’s women were subordinate to men in every