A study of the Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath and a description of the three stages of her "spiraling insanity"

"Its title, the bell jar, is a metaphorical explanation for what [Esther's] insanity felt like. It is suffocating; it closes her off from the world. When it descends, she cannot see or hear clearly and she is trapped alone." -Joel Christensen Through the course of the novel Esther Greenwood goes through three stages, Pre-Treatment, Treatment, and Post-Treatment for her insanity. Before her treatment Esther works in New York, becomes bitterly depressed, and finally attempts suicide. …

…were inside of it, devoid from emotion. The bell jar represents a lack of control, of one's self and one's surroundings. When she insane, or in the bell jar, Esther is unable to control herself (attempting suicide) and is completely unable to control her surroundings. The Bell Jar is a good name for the book because it represents the enclosure and repression (of emotion and self) that seems to rule the main character, Esther's, life.