Breaking the Jar

“To the person in the bell jar, blank and stopped as a dead baby, the world itself is the bad dream.” – Sylvia Plath

I use, The Bell Jar, 1963, Sylvia Plath to explore multiple themes that have had constant relevance in my own life. I explore societal expectations of women; including those that have expired since Sylvia Plath’s life, and that in which is still relevant today. Although women’s societal roles have improved, Plath’s experience is still far too relevant to go without acknowledgment.
Along with expectations of women, I also explore mental illness. It will always be present but is fortunately less taboo today than in 1963. The Bell Jar addresses mental illness but left a space for us to grow. Plath tilled the soil, we must plant the garden. My goal is to keep pushing discussion because without it, treatments will stagnate, and stereotypes will persist.
Finally, I focus on the metamorphosis of women through my own lens of experience with female expectation and mental illness, and the pains that come with it. Each photo is inspired by a different quote from the novel that I intended to be seen not as an illustration but as a visualization of how I relate to and interpret each quote. As a result, this series works as a link between Sylvia Plath’s semi-autobiography, my experiences, and the inspirational stories of countless women everywhere.

Plath, Sylvia. The Bell Jar. Heinemann, 1963.