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The Bell Jar is a 1963 novel by Sylvia Plath describing the decline of main character Esther into a depressive episode and her stay in a psychiatric ward. Plath herself had recurrent depression and was hospitalised for this. She completed suicide a month after the book's publication. Her own understanding-by-experience may have helped her to write about depression both accurately and powerfully.
There are hints of Esther's depressive symptoms starting while she interns at a New York magazine during her summer vacation. She is unmotivated to take part in events and does not feel enjoyment. Esther describes her low mood as feelings of sadness and tiredness and realises that she has not felt truly happy since the age of 9, before her father died. She portrays how lonely she feels in a busy place and frequently thinks of death. Esther has succeeded throughout her life academically, gaining...