An unsung anthem of twentieth-century adolescence, The Bell Jar has since its original publication under the pseudonym Sylvia Plath, Victoria Lucas in 1963, become an iconic symbol of teenage angst. The novel focuses on the protagonist, Esther Greenwood, and the emotional struggle she faces as she finds her way in the world as a sheltered college student. The novel traces the path of his mental breakdown from the first signs of depression to the epilogue of his recovery. In The Bell Jar, the stages of Esther Greenwood's despondency and the nuances of the protagonist's mental and emotional journey are clearly documented through the evolution of her perspective. Sylvia Plath draws many parallels to other iconic novels and her own experiences, resulting in Esther Greenwood's dynamic character development. The Bell Jar opens with the introduction of the main character and his ambivalent attitude towards the hustle and bustle of New York. York. Immediately his disorientation and cynicism are discernible. Esther is working as an intern at a prestigious fashion magazine in New York City, paid entirely by her generous benefactress, Philomena Guinea. During her time in the city, she begins to feel detached from reality as if she were a spectator on the sidelines observing all the emotions she should be feeling herself. In the first few chapters, Esther expresses her insecurities about feeling small and inexperienced in a big world. The internship in New York was the first time she had been somewhere outside of the Boston suburbs she called home. Coincidentally, Plath also hailed from the Boston suburbs of Jamaica Plain and in 1953 served as an intern at Mademoiselle, a respectable fashion magazine... middle of paper... t. I am, I am, I am” (243). The Bell Jar, a novel whose legacy has shined for decades, serves as an homage to those in crisis, especially those dealing with the apprehension of adolescence or even clinical depression. Sylvia Plath uses myriad incidents and authentic feelings carefully chiseled from her own life to construct a quasi-autobiography. This is done while simultaneously drawing similarities to other influential masterpieces in history. Esther Greenwood's emotional odyssey through the stages of her depression is shown throughout the novel. The Bell Jar is a beautiful tribute to the internal emotional struggles during Plath's life, expressed through the evolution of the protagonist's character. 51 years and over three million copies later, The Bell Jar is even more powerful in today's literary world and has irrefutable international significance..