“The Bell Jar” by Sylvia Plath is a very dark piece but particularly enjoyable to read. Two themes I decided to focus on in the book are representation and understanding oneself in a world in which one can completely lose oneself. The book is a semi-autobiography that reveals Esther Greenwood, a nineteen-year-old student who spends a summer month in New York working at a fashion magazine. What should have been a great experience for Esther actually turned out to be a nightmare, leaving her to return home and fall into a state of deep depression. Esther began in the novel as a young girl who had great potential and was ready to treat herself to a summer living in New York. “I was supposed to have an unforgettable time” (Plath, 1971), is what Esther Greenwood ended up saying to herself during her stay in New York. She wasn't enjoying her experience like she thought she would. I think most young girls would be able to align themselves with Esther in that aspect because when you go on a journey through life, sometimes they don't. ...