In the novel The Bell Jar, the author, Sylvia Plath, makes several text-to-world connections throughout the storyline. The first connection that is made takes place towards the beginning of the book, when Esther is describing her family’s money problems. Esther’s father passed away when she was young and left no life insurance, leaving the family virtually penniless. As a result, she must work hard to maintain high grades throughout school to earn a scholarship for college. The reader can relate this to students today, in which, many college students have to apply for financial aid and loans to pay for their schooling. Tuition is gradually increasing to account for the number of students applying, and unfortunately, most students are unable to pay the costs without receiving some sort of help.
Another connection one can make refers to the growing number of suicides and attempted suicides in the United States. The climax of the novel comes when Esther attempts and almost succeeds at killing herself, as a result of her becoming mentally unstable. She was working and interning in New York for a few weeks, when she realized how fake and superficial the lifestyle seemed. Similarly, in modern day, many celebrities and public figures have attempted or succeeded in killing themselves, such as actor Heath Ledger. The pressure of the constant attention becomes too much to bear and they often turn to suicide or painkillers as an escape.
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