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Sylvia Plath’s only novel, The Bell Jar, attracted mediocre reviews upon its publication in 1963. Since then, however, its insight into Plath’s life, and the issues of mental health, and women’s rights, which were widely ignored at the time, are demonstrative of why it’s now considered such a powerful novel. The BBC even put it on their list of ‘100 stories that shaped the world’ in 2019. Plath herself was born in Massachusetts in 1932 to Austrian parents. She studied at Smith College in the early 1950s and later won a Fulbright fellowship to study at Cambridge University, England. This is where she met Ted Hughes, who she married within a year. They both became increasingly successful writers, and moved between America and England. However, within a few years, there arose difficulties as jealousy grew between Plath and Hughes due to Hughes’ increasing success; there are even rumours of domestic abuse occurring between the pair. They divorced in 1962. The Bell Jar focuses on an adolescent girl, Esther, who goes to study at a summer writing course in New York. The story starts here, but jumps around with flashbacks to Esther’s past, and its progression into the future. The novel may not appear massively autobiographical from its plot outline, but within the story, there are many details which link it to Plath’s life. As will be discussed, it is possible that these details were part of Plath’s confessionalism. The Confessional Movement emerged in the 1950s and 60s, and involves writers discussing deeply personal subjects such as trauma, death and depression, but through a fictional medium. Esther’s mind – sometimes narrated through a stream of consciousness – is presented as a whirlwind of deteriorating mental health, spurred on by societal pressures she faces and the inequality of women. This narration emphasises the fact that many of Esther’s experiences were actually Plath’s own. For example, Esther’s father died when she was nine, and Plath’s did when she was just eight. In fact, this part of the storyline is identical as Esther mentions her father’s interest in insects, and Plath’s own father was an entomologist. Interestingly, Plath seemed to have an obsession with her father which ranged from her love and admiration for him (sometimes verging on an Electra Complex) to her hatred for him “abandoning” her. In her poem, Daddy, she even calls him a ‘bastard’ and says ‘the villagers never liked you’. Plath’s mental state at this time – just four months before her death – was likely disturbed. Nonetheless, the parallels between Esther and Plath continue, both being rejected from prestigious writing courses, both receiving electroconvulsive therapy in psychiatric hospitals, and both writing poetry, just to name a few. Perhaps through these parallels, Plath is trying to lay out her the blame for her mental deterioration. Just as Esther’s mental state deteriorates, Plath’s does similarly. With regards to this mental deterioration, again The Bell Jar is important historically, and in understanding Plath’s own life further. In the novel, Esther describes a level of dissociation and disconnection from reality. She says that she ‘wasn’t steering’ herself, even describing her own reflection as ‘the face in the mirror’, rather than her face. Moreover, Esther uses different names for herself, creating the persona of Elly Higginbottom in the first chapter, and Elaine about halfway through the novel. Similarly, and unfortunately, Plath herself struggled severely with mental health, describing the level of her despair as “owl’s talons clenching my heart”. Before her death in 1963, she had already tried to kill herself by taking her mother’s sleeping pills ten years before, and later by driving her car off the road. She received both electroconvulsive shock therapy and insulin shock therapy before she had left college (for her depression), and struggled with insomnia. Like her protagonist, Plath also used different names, publishing The Bell Jar under the name of Victoria Lucas. Finally, Plath committed suicide on 11th February 1963, less than a month after the publication of her novel. At that time – during the worst winter for a century – she had been divorced from Hughes for just four months, and she was single parenting two children in a London flat without a telephone. She was found with her head in the oven by her the live-in nurse that was coming to ensure she was alright until her anti-depressants kicked in. Whilst very sad, this element of Plath’s life is clearly represented in the confessional nature of The Bell Jar. In more of her material, this was explored further. For example, in her poem, Daddy, she talks about attempting suicide at age twenty. Similarly, Suicide Off Egg Rock – another of her poems – is a reference to the rock mentioned in The Bell Jar which Esther aims towards when she tries to swim until she drowns. Notably, Plath won a Pulitzer Prize for her Collected Poems published posthumously in 1982, showing the impact of such poems such as these. On the important issue of women’s rights, too, The Bell Jar is influential. It is perhaps because of Esther’s incongruity with the group of girls she is put with that readers have their attention drawn to the stereotypical presentation of women and girls in the 1960s. The reference to them as ‘the girls’ highlights their uniformity, but Esther’s blunt statement that the girls she was staying with ‘make me sick’ demonstrate her contrast to them. Whereas they relish the opportunity to be showered with gifts, Esther ‘hid them away’; whilst the girls mostly eat salad for lunch, Esther ‘picked the richest, most expensive dishes’ to gorge on. These differences highlight the stereotypical assumptions many people made about women in the 60s. Furthermore, when debating what life choices she had with the Fig Tree analogy, Esther notes the appeal of having ‘a husband, and a happy home, and children’, but ultimately, she rejects that stable, conventional offer in the form of Buddy Willard, who is training to become a doctor. This epitomises the feeling that whichever choice she makes, Esther will be losing out on another, and potentially disappointing the people around her. Again, the confessional nature of the novel enhances the power of this image, and demonstrates the importance of The Bell Jar. Ultimately, The Bell Jar is both a masterpiece of confessionalism, and an eye-opening novel about the societal pressures of the 20th century. It draws attention to specific problems faced by Plath herself, and relates these problems to American society as a whole, showing why it is such a powerful book. If you want to read more articles from Writer's Path, please go to our home page and subscribe to our emailing list. Our articles will come straight into your inbox. #sylviaplath #americanpoet #americannovelist #literaryarticles #literarylondon #writerspath #thebelljar #confessionalpoetry #womenwriters #americanpoetry #anericanliterature

Herbert George Wells (1866-1946) was a hugely prolific writer, and arguably the father of science fiction; he was nominated for four Nobel Prizes in Literature in his lifetime. Quite how prognostic Wells was, though, is still shocking. To set context to Wells’ acclaimed novel, The War of the Worlds was published in 1898; it is a short story which focusses on Earth’s invasion by ‘Martians’. It’s therefore understandably surprising that such an outlandish book can be so prescient. However, Wells’ technique of interspersing such an imaginative headline with every day matter-of-fact details, now known as ‘Wells’ Law’, allows for a powerful conveyance of criticism of society, and predictions (of gloom). Whereas the inspiration for The War of the Worlds is unclear, there are still notable events which may have encouraged Wells. By the time he was writing this novel, right at the end of the 19th Century, there had been three centuries of observation of Mars, starting with Galileo in the 1600s. However, in 1895 (just three years before Wells’ novel was published), the American astronomer, Percival Lowell, published a book titled Mars. It speculated about life on Mars, explaining how inhabitants could be melting the polar ice caps to irrigate the land; this provided an extremely comprehensive theory of how life could exist on Mars, potentially being a stimulus for the aliens in the book. Wells also wrote this book at the turn of the century – a time at which there can be much nervousness. This alarming story, therefore, could be as a result of the general feeling of unease and reflection amongst the British population. As a child, Wells’ family was fairly poor, and he had limited access to books. However, his attraction to reading began when he broke his leg as a child and was brought books from the local library by his father. One of the next most influential things in Wells’ life, after his love of reading, was his passion for science. In 1890, he was awarded a Bachelor of Science Degree in Zoology from The University of London. Of course his love of literature was important in sparking his writing ability, but his interest in science was, too. As will be further explored, Wells was very much a Darwinian, and this belief filtered into his novels, including The War of the Worlds and The Time Machine. This belief also allows readers to more surely identify Wells’ warnings about the future of humanity. Focussing on one of his most celebrated novels, The War of the Worlds, shows us Wells’ own views on society at the time, and his predictions and forewarnings for humanity. Not only do his basic concepts such as the ‘heat-ray’ which the Martians use (being remarkably similar to a modern-day laser) show Wells’ predictive genius, but in a time of coronavirus, Wells’ more sweeping judgements on humanity are powerfully mirrored in today’s reality. Throughout the book, the main criticisms that Wells brandishes upon society surrounds humanity’s arrogance and dominance over the world. In the first chapter, Wells mentions the ‘infinite complacency’ of man and our ‘ruthless and utter destruction’ of other species. Wells asserts that man is ‘blinded by his vanity’ in this book, and this criticism is shown to be humans’ main weakness, as they are decimated by the invading species without forewarning. This level of complacency which Wells highlighted through his fiction at the end of the nineteenth century, was clearly carried through the twentieth century and into the twenty-first. Humans have continued to exploit Earth’s natural resources, and destroy large swathes of the environment – perhaps Wells’ criticism is rather fitting. Without wishing to put too finer point on it, many governments’ under preparation for the coronavirus pandemic most strikingly demonstrates Wells’ observation that man is complacent, and simply believes that it will “all be fine in the end”. Furthermore, although The War of the Worlds clearly depicts unrealistic and unscientific circumstances, the way that the dominant and intellectually superior Martians are actually killed by bacteria suggests Wells has an underlying respect for nature and an ultimate doubt of the power of technology. In Wells’ novel, even the most powerful and fantastical beings from other planets could still succumb to Earth’s natural forces, just as humanity has experienced recently both with coronavirus, and climate change. A reader could do well to view the Martians as a representation for humanity: an invading species destroying everything in its path until it gets dominance over the native species. If read this way, it would lead readers to believe the unremitting growth of humanity will be curbed, and draws an extraordinary parallel with both the world wars which occurred after the writing of the novel, and particularly, the Covid-19 pandemic. Another of Wells’ predictions was regarding technology, and it seems he was not a massive fan. Whilst he was a scientist, as mentioned above, he was very much a Darwinist, which is relevant when considering his viewpoint. Through the Martians – which are actually just heavily evolved humans – Wells suggests that humans may physically “degenerate” in the future. In the book, as humans became more reliant on technology, their features such as limbs experienced a ‘steady diminution’. This means the Martians are basically just brains inside a strange, mechanical body. Wells’ prognostications here draw interesting parallels with another of his books, The Time Machine, in which humans evolve into two separate species, one being the Eloi, whose physical features are again diminished and who are vastly inferior to the previous state of humanity. This again is painfully symbolic of the 21st century where – for example – the majority of the population is overweight or obese in the UK and America. Our reliance on technology such as cars, and the ease of ordering fast food has only occurred because of our intellectual growth, but this means that the average human body is deteriorating throughout the Western world. Finally, the fact that these awe-inspiring Martians who are technologically superior to humanity are actually killed off by bacteria again shows how Wells is offering a subtle warning about over-reliance on technology. The state of the world today, with humans destroying their bodies, and coronavirus outwitting the even most assiduous governments, demonstrates once and for all Wells’ astonishing level of prescience. If you want to read more articles from Writer's Path, please go to our home page and subscribe to our emailing list. Our articles will come straight into your inbox. #hgwells #writerspath #thewaroftheworlds #sciencefiction #novel #englishwriter #novelist #onewriteronebook #literature #worldhistory #martians #coronavirus #loveliterature

So much more than a love story for women. At the time of its reception, Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca was lambasted by many critics as just another Gothic romance, written by a woman, for women. However, as is often the case, the true greatness of the novel has now been realised, as critics softened to the idea of female writers, and as those who’ve read affirm the greatness of it. This is only supported by its high ranking position on the BBC’s “the nation’s best-loved novel” survey in 2003, and the book’s recent adaptation into a Netflix film, which itself has been widely praised. The brilliance of du Maurier cannot be denied here. Daphne du Maurier herself was born in London to Sir Gerald du Maurier and Muriel Beaumont in 1907. This was a wealthy and artistic household, with her father being a prominent actor-manager, and her elder sister, Angela, becoming a writer herself. This helped her to gain her own foothold, and her first novel, The Loving Spirit, was published in 1931, when she was just twenty-four. Nonetheless, it was Rebecca, of course, that is the most prominent of all her works. Having never been out of print since the day it was published, and being adapted for several stage and screen productions, the power of the storyline is clear. The story focuses on a unnamed narrator – something to be examined later on – who is married to the illustrious Maxim de Winter. Their marriage, however, is constantly plagued by the memory of Maxim’s first wife: Rebecca. The fact that the entire book is named after this woman demonstrates the weight she has over the storyline, even though she is dead. The narrator of the book – Maxim’s new wife – reports the haunted feeling she gets as she sits in ‘Rebecca’s chair’ and leans against ‘Rebecca’s cushion’ (acknowledging the Gothic element of this story). Furthermore, the expectations which Rebecca’s presence put on the narrator are hugely damaging: Rebecca was a woman of high birth; she was pretty; she was gracious; and she could run the house properly. However, the narrator muses that she is from ‘spurious origin’, and describes herself as ‘dull’. This is made worse by the fact that other characters, even those who are nice to her, still maintain this comparison. For example, Maxim’s sister says that she is ‘so very different from Rebecca’. The fact that the novel is named after Rebecca, whilst the readers never even find out the narrator’s actual name, demonstrate her dominance, and this oppression is a key theme of the story. For du Maurier, though, the theme of femininity in Rebecca was also crucial. The expectations mentioned above are all noticeably sexist, and the narrator’s position in her new home, Manderley, reinforces this. Expectations, a key theme of the book, are powerful in demonstrating what women were meant to be, and this is shown in the “indoctrination” of the narrator, as she says that ‘confidence, grace, beauty’ are three of the most important things for a woman to possess, despite also acknowledging throughout the novel that she lacks these key qualities. This indoctrination is reflected in the way that the narrator admits she feels freer when Maxim leaves the house to go to London, as she can be more herself, and not try to live up to the stereotypically feminine ideals that she believes Maxim holds her to. The subtle criticism of sexism in Rebecca, though, is made more poignant because of du Maurier’s own beliefs. Like the narrator, du Maurier was married to an “important man”: Lieutenant-General Browning. Whilst writing Rebecca, du Maurier was living in Egypt, posted there with her husband for the first time. It has been reported that she absolutely hated all the schmoozing at the military dinners, particularly because – as far as most people were concerned – she was just the wife of a successful man, rather than being her own person. This is similarly reflected in her novel, as the narrator’s anonymity, as well as giving emphasis to the power of Rebecca, shows the narrator to be inferior to Maxim, and lacking in identity, in the way du Maurier felt about herself. Moreover, du Maurier herself felt she struggled to order the servants she had to do things. This reflects the narrator’s own difficulties in this regard, as she was brought up with no experience of this. Mrs Danvers expects her to be able to manage Manderley straight off the bat, mostly because she is a woman, again demonstrating the way in which du Maurier highlights sexist beliefs in Rebecca. This shows how themes in the book are made more powerful by the semi-autobiographical nature of it, relating them to real life. This relatability to Daphne du Maurier’s own life continues with another key part of the book: Manderley. The inspiration for this house came from du Maurier’s own Cornish home, Menabilly. This was her pride and joy, and she spent many years (and a lot of money) doing it up. However, in this instance, du Maurier’s inspiration contrasts with the image portrayed in the book, as Manderley – though revered by most – is the ‘sepulchre’ of the narrator’s ‘fear and suffering’. Also, the fact it burns down is surprising in light of how much du Maurier loved her own home, though perhaps it can be explained by the Gothic nature of the book. However, the question remains as to what makes this book so much more than a Gothic love story. It’s true that the ending is surprising, romantic, and also that the portrayal of the dead wife, alongside her sinister counterpart, Mrs Danvers, explain why ‘Gothic’, and ‘romance’ are apt descriptions for the novel. However, this is a rather pernicious description for Rebecca, as the subtle criticisms of societal expectations, and the oppression of women are hugely important. This makes the novel somewhat prescient, as it was published in 1930, the time between the first and second wave feminist movements, and in the time before the liberalisation of the youth from expectations their parents had of them. Because of this reason, it is now clear that Rebecca is a hugely important book, and not just “women’s fiction”. If you want to read more articles from Writer's Path, please go to our home page and subscribe to our emailing list. Our articles will come straight into your inbox. #daphnedumaurier #rebecca #englishwriters #writerspath #literarurearticle #famousauthors #famouswriters #ladybrowning #englishplayright #gothicnovels #mysterynovels #literaryfiction

Daunt Books in Marylebone is one of the most impressive bookshops in London; it is an Edwardian building, built in 1912, adorned with oak galleries and skylights. ⁠ ⁠ They claim to be the first custom-built bookshop in the world. 📚⁠ ⁠ Daunt Books specialises in travel books and general literature. ⁠ ⁠ You may lose the sense of time whilst you are inside; it is certainly worth a visit. ⁠ ⁠ 📍83 Marylebone High St, Marylebone, London W1U 4QW⁠ ⁠ The nearest station is Baker Street Underground Station. 🚆⁠ ⁠ ⁠ if you want to find more hidden literary gems in London visit our Writer's Path Map https://www.writerspath.co.uk/map 👈⁠ ⁠ ⁠ #dauntbooks #dauntbooksmarylebone #londonbookstores #literarylondon #literarymapoflondon #writerspath #marylebonehighstreet #marylebone

Karl Heinrich Marx (1818-1883) was a German revolutionary, author and philosopher. Marx was one of the most important political theorists of the 19th century best known for his ideas about communism and capitalism. Because of his political views and publications, Marx had to live in exile with his family in London until his death in 1883. Some of his notable works were his 1848 Pamphlet, The Communist Manifesto, and the three-volume critique of capitalism, Das Kapital. At this house – which Marx lived in from 1851 to 1856 – he worked on the first volume of Das Kapital. A blue plaque can be found here. 📍28 Dean Street, Soho, London, W1D 3RY The nearest station is Tottenham Court Road Underground Station. 🚆 if you want to find more hidden literary gems in London visit our Writer's Path Map https://www.writerspath.co.uk/map 👈⁠ ⁠ ⁠ #KarlMarx #KarlMarxsLondon #revolutionary #KarlMarxshouse #Marx #DasKapital #writershome #writershouses #germanwriters #germanphilosophers

Charles Dickens and Samuel Pepys' Inspiration. The Prospect of Whitby is an old tavern by the River Thames; it is supposedly London’s oldest riverside inn, and previously went by various names including The Pelican and later The Devil's Tavern. Its history dates back to the 1520's in the reign of Henry VIII where it was a favourite of smugglers and sailors. More recently, Samuel Pepys and Charles Dickens were amongst the satisfied customers. 📍57 Wapping Wall, St Katharine's & Wapping, London E1W 3SH The nearest station is Wapping Train Station. 🚆 if you want to find more hidden literary gems in London visit our Writer's Path Map https://www.writerspath.co.uk/map 👈⁠ ⁠ ⁠ #theprospectofwhitby #Londonpubs #charlesdickens #samuelpepys #oldestriversideinn

This is the date of the first publication of Bram Stoker's Dracula on May 26 in 1897. Abraham Stoker, widely known as Bram Stoker (1847-1912), was an Irish writer. He was also a manager and personal assistant of the actor, Sir Henry Irving. One of Stoker’s most popular works is the Gothic horror novel, Dracula and whilst he wrote twelve novels in total, none of them could match the success of Dracula. He was also friends with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, William Butler Yeats and Oscar Wilde, the latter friendship being significant due to the fight between the two men over Florence Balcome, Stoker’s wife. #worlddraculaday #draculaday #onthisdate #bramstoker #draculapublished #countdracula #gothicliterature #horrorfiction #irishwriters #dracula

World famous fictional character Mary Poppins' author, P. L. Travers. P. L. Travers lived and worked in this house from 1946 to 1962 and the English Heritage blue plaque on the side is dedicated to her. Pamela Lyndon Travers (1899-1996) was an Australian-English writer, actress and journalist. Her most successful work was the children’s book series, Mary Poppins, which comprised of eight books by the time it was finished. After resisting for twenty years, Travers sold the film rights of Mary Poppins to Walt Disney. She was also friends with famous Irish poet, William Butler Yeats. 📍50 Smith Street, Chelsea, London, SW3 4EP The nearest station is Sloane Square Underground Station. 🚆⁠ ⁠ if you want to find more hidden literary gems in London visit our Writer's Path Map https://www.writerspath.co.uk/map 👈⁠ ⁠ ⁠ #pltravers #marypoppins #pltravershouse #waltdisney #londonliterature #writerspath #literarymapoflondon #literarylondon #writershomes #visitlondon #literarygems #writerslife #blueplaques #englishheritage #marypoppinsreturns #londonwalks #londonblueplaques #pltraversblueplaque

.A writer's museum in London. The Scottish author, philosopher, essayist, mathematician and also historian, Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881), is an important figure in Victorian Literature, not least because his book, The French Revolution, inspired Dickens to write A Tale of Two Cities. 📓 Carlyle also produced several other well-known works such as Sartor Resartus, On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and The Heroic in History. This location is Carlyle’s House; there is a private portrait plaque on the building and you can visit and explore the famous writer’s home. More details about this venue (including opening and closing times) can be found on the website. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/carlyles-house 📍24 Cheyne Row, Chelsea, London SW3 5HL The nearest station is Sloane Square Underground Station. 🚆⁠ ⁠ if you want to find more hidden literary gems in London visit our Writer's Path Map https://www.writerspath.co.uk/map 👈⁠ ⁠ ⁠ #thomascarlyle #carlyleshouse #londonliterature #writerspath #literarymapoflondon #literarylondon #writersmuseums #scottishwriters #visitlondon #secretlondon #scottishauthors #literarygems #nationaltrust

William Shakespeare & Charles Dickens Inspiration. George Inn – or, The George – is a pub first established in the medieval period serving as a coaching inn at that time. ⁠ ⁠ The records of this coaching inn date back to 1542. Although the current building dates back to 1676 when it was rebuilt following a devastating fire.⁠ ⁠ William Shakespeare often frequented the inn. 🍻⁠ ⁠ Charles Dickens personally visited and stayed at the George Hotel which he described as 'one of the best inns in England' in his novel, Nicholas Nickleby. ⁠ ⁠ He also referred to it in his book, Little Dorrit. 📓⁠ ⁠ The inn is now owned by the National Trust.⁠ ⁠ A memorial plaque can be found at the site.⁠ ⁠ 📍75-77 Borough High St, London SE1 1NH⁠ ⁠ The nearest station is London Bridge Underground Station.🚆⁠ ⁠ if you want to find more hidden literary gems in London visit our Writer's Path Map https://www.writerspath.co.uk/map 👈⁠ ⁠ ⁠ #thegeorgeinn #thegeorge #londonliterature #writerspath #literarymapoflondon #literarylondon #londonpubs #charlesdickens #williamshakespeare #nationaltrust #publichouse #visitlondon #secretlondon #pubsoflondon

Sigmund Freud was born #onthisday in 1856. Freud (1856-1939) was an Austrian neurologist, physiologist and the developer of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic theory. Freud is one of the most influential thinkers of 20th century and although he was nominated twelve times for a Nobel Prize in Medicine, and once for literature, he was never the ultimate winner. Nonetheless, Freud was awarded the Goethe Prize in literature in 1930. Some of his well-known works were The Interpretation of Dreams, Leonardo da Vinci, A Memory of His Childhood, The Ego and the Id and An Outline of Psycho-Analysis. Freud lived in this house from 1938 to 1939. During this time, he was visited by many other significant authors including H.G. Wells, and Leonard and Virginia Woolf. Since July 1986, the house serves as a museum. Also a blue plaque can be seen at this location. 📍20 Maresfield Gardens, London NW3 5SD The nearest station is Finchley Road Train Station. 🚆 if you want to find more hidden literary gems in London visit our Writer's Path Map https://www.writerspath.co.uk/map 👈⁠ ⁠ #sigmundfreud #freud #londonliterature #writerspath #literarymapoflondon #literarylondon #freudmuseum

Dame Agatha Christie (1890-1976) was an English author famed for writing detective novels, short stories, plays and poems. 🕵️‍♀️ Some of her well-known works include The Murder at the Vicarage, Partners In Crime, The Mousetrap, Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, which featured the celebrated detectives, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. 📓 Christie was awarded a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1971. 🏆 This bronze statue stands 2.4 metres high, and is dedicated to Agatha Christie. Its location in the heart of London's theatre district truly honours Christie's contribution to theatre: she was the first female playwright to have three plays performing simultaneously in the West End, after all. 📍Cranbourn St, London WC2H The nearest station is Leicester Square Underground Station. 🚆 ⁠ if you want to find more hidden literary gems in London visit our Writer's Path Map https://www.writerspath.co.uk/map 👈⁠ ⁠ #agathachristie #londonliterature #writerspath #literarylocations #literarymapoflondon #famouswriters #literarylondon #britishwriters #writersmemorial #mysterywriter