BELL JARS AND BELL BOTTOMS: HOW SYLVIA PLATH’S NOVEL “FASHIONED” FEMALE YOUTH CULTURE

ATHENA KELLYANN SHORT
BELL JARS AND BELL BOTTOMS: HOW SYLVIA PLATH’S NOVEL “FASHIONED” FEMALE YOUTH CULTURE

Reading Plath’s novel through the lens of fashion not only offers new insight into Esther’s identity crisis, breakdown, and “recovery,” but also invites readers to turn a critical eye toward contemporary fashion practices. Although Esther’s clothing-related anxieties are born of mid-twentieth-century American misgivings and mores, the concerns that the novel raises about fashion, femininity, and identity are still relevant to modern readers, particularly young women.

About

Reading Plath’s novel through the lens of fashion not only offers new insight into Esther’s identity crisis, breakdown, and “recovery,” but also invites readers to turn a critical eye toward contemporary fashion practices. Although Esther’s clothing-related anxieties are born of mid-twentieth-century American misgivings and mores, the concerns that the novel raises about fashion, femininity, and identity are still relevant to modern readers, particularly young women.

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.

Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada