Life Problems and Successful People

“Attending a school where most of my classmates are hardworking geniuses with unbelievably high grades and impressive abilities, I had always assumed that some successful people never faced any problems. But as I read the Bell Jar and Esther’s isolation from the world, I realized that everybody struggles with issues, although these issues may be hidden beneath a mask.

I found it so coincidental that the author, Sylvia Plath, and the main character, Esther Greenwood, attended Smith College because I am also going there this summer for a writing program. Like the author and Esther, I am also very interested in writing. And to be honest, this minor connection made watching Esther, a seemingly successful young woman, turn into a mad, mentally ill patient scary because of the similarity between us. It worried me that I might one day reach the peak of my life and lose my abilities and power, and motivated me to continue pursuing my dreams and keep writing to improve limitlessly.”

From T.H.

4 July 2024