The Bell Jar
"The Bell Jar" addresses the question of socially acceptable identity. It examines Esther's "quest to forge her own identity, to be herself rather than what others expect her to be." Esther is expected to become a housewife, and a self-sufficient woman, without the options to achieve independence. Esther feels she is a prisoner to domestic duties and she fears the loss of her inner self. "The Bell Jar" sets out to highlight the problems with oppressive patriarchal society in mid-20th-century America.