Passive, Out-of-Body Narration in The Bell Jar
One of the most defining aspects of The Bell Jar is Sylvia Plath’s unique style of narration. Her writing is characterized by a decidedly poetic descriptiveness that helps to convey details and emotion in an incredibly nuanced way. The book is jam-packed with similes, metaphors, and other literary devices scattered among the pages amidst a backdrop of consistently vivid descriptions. And while these details are essential for the overall character of the novel, they are ultimately traditional literary techniques that you could theoretically find in many other works of poetry or prose if you looked hard enough. However, there are some other aspects of Plath’s writing that stand out to me far more than the blanket-level similes and descriptions, like the intense, aromatic herbs and spices that add robust flavor to an already fragrant, satisfactory dish. There are ...