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Seeking validation: Bell Jar & Mental Health

Avni
2 min readJan 31, 2023

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I was once reading a novel, “Bell Jar” by Sylvia Plath. When I was reading for the first time, I only capture the essence of the novel that the main character “Esther Greenwood” overcome her suicidal thoughts in the end. It was a beautiful ending for me because she decides to go back to college and live her life by letting go of her intrusive thoughts.

But when I was reading for the second time, my understanding was a bit different. I saw the pain, glitters, her art of expression in this cruel world, her struggle towards the expectations of society that she is not fulfilling, and yes, her suicidal attempts to escape misery.

It was quite a story for me because I can relate to her in some parts. She was looking for validation throughout her journey, only to find it within herself at last.

Getting good grades, behaving cheerfully, and much more are always a thing to reflect on ourselves when we live in a society and somehow, they are norms that we need to follow.

Since childhood, there are unsaid rules that we learned, and we are too scared to follow anything against them. The plight of the unknown always haunts us till we realize the finite time of our life.

But in this book, Esther not only graduates from college but from a mental institution too which was quite a milestone as compared to her deadly suicidal attempts.

I wonder do we need these kinds of experiences, this way or another to realize our tender existence or if it is just the way how the world works, only situations are different. The author of this book “Sylvia Plath” died by suicide and Esther was no one but herself portrayed magically in Bell Jar.

I again wonder, only if Sylvia continues to have her validation within herself, then maybe she didn’t die like this, or if her clinical depression was gone for good from her life. Then, she would have written more books, poetries but Mental health was never a good sight to behold either at that time or now.

Therefore, take care of yourself and as well as your mental health. Remember to seek the help of a professional, if you need it, and start validating yourself for that. It won’t be a smooth journey but at least it belongs to YOU.

-AV

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Avni
Avni

Written by Avni

A human being with an interest in living and exploring life with a bit of psychology, movies and books

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