Listen&Learn: The Bell Jar

Posted by: Jaksyn Peacock

Learn about famous poet Sylvia Plath’s only novel.

Pre-listening vocabulary

pen name: a fake name that an author uses to publish a book
derive: to take inspiration from something
depression: a mental illness that causes people to be upset and tired for long periods of time
metaphor: a type of figurative language that makes a comparison between two things
bell jar: a bell-shaped glass jar that is used for science experiments

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:07 — 1.0MB)

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Gapfill exercis

Comprehension questions

See answers below

The Bell Jar was first published under the name
a. Sylvia Plath
b. Victoria Lucas
c. Esther Greenwood
The book is Plath’s
a. only novel
b. second novel
c. third novel
The “bell jar” is a metaphor for
a. sexism
b. mental illness
c. society

Discussion/essay questions

Why might life have been harder for people with mental illnesses in the 1960s?
How do you think the world can better accommodate people with mental illnesses?

Transcript

The Bell Jar is a 1963 novel by American writer Sylvia Plath. Plath originally published the novel in England using the pen name “Victoria Lucas”. The Bell Jar was Plath’s only novel, and her journals suggest that it is partially derived from her own life. The narrator, a young woman named Esther Greenwood, struggles with depression and anxiety, like Plath herself. The title is a metaphor that Esther uses to describe her mental illness—she explains that it feels like being trapped in a bell jar. Soon after the publication of The Bell Jar, Plath died by suicide. The book was not published under her real name until after her death. It is still studied today.

Answers to comprehension questions

1b 2a 3b

Written and recorded by Jaksyn Peacock for EnglishClub

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8 comments

abdolmonem says:

All people must know about mental illness
English Club Indonesia says:

Because mental illnesses weren’t prevalent back then. Now, mental illnesses have been acknowledged already. It is easier to find ways to take care of them, such as going to a psychiatrist and seeking help from related health departments.
Wagner Silva says:

It was tough to understand narrator pronunciation.
Ivan says:

I believe the first step we can do as society is to be empathic with people who suffer this kind of condition. This will let us understand in a certain degree how someone is dealing with this predicament.
Vladimir Shimshoni says:

It can happen to anyone of us- we are not immune against it
Séverin Small says:

Hey dear, thanks a lot for this attractive text and the comprehension questions. I really appreciate even though I ‘ve missed some responses.
Nonetheless, I learnt something new, and for me, it’s the most important.
S Lee says:

Thanks for the recording and exercises for English learners, including myself. Mental illness seems to cause a lot of troubles to many people who suffer from it, but it is very hard to understand how it can result someone in attempting a suicide in my opinion. It is just a personal thought and the view can be very different from some people who greatly suffer from it. Sometimes I find myself depressed and with no motivation but no to extent where I hope to commit a suicide. Regardless, I think it is always a good idea to think positively and look out for a better future than dwelling in the past and negative thoughts.
David says:

Mental illness remains a very hard problem for people whom suffer it, their relatives and the whole society.