Part 25 (1/2)
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The Bell Jar was first published in London in January 1963 was first published in London in January 1963 by Wil by William Heinemann Limited, under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas. Sylvia Plath had adopted the pen name for publication of her first novel because she questioned its literary value and did not believe it was a ”serious work”; she was also worried about the pain publication might cause to the many people close to her whose personalities she had distorted and lightly disguised in the book.
The central themes of Sylvia Plath's early life are the basis for The Bell Jar. The Bell Jar. She was born in 1932 in Ma.s.sachusetts and spent her early childhood years in Winthrop, a seaside town close to Boston. Her mother's parents were Austrian; her father, a distinguished professor of biology at Boston University (and an internationally known authority on bees), had emigrated to the States from Poland as an adolescent; she had one brother, two and a half years younger. A radical change occurred in Sylvia's life when she was eight: in November 1940, her father died after a long, difficult illness, and the mother and grandparents moved the family inland to the town of Wellesley, a conservative She was born in 1932 in Ma.s.sachusetts and spent her early childhood years in Winthrop, a seaside town close to Boston. Her mother's parents were Austrian; her father, a distinguished professor of biology at Boston University (and an internationally known authority on bees), had emigrated to the States from Poland as an adolescent; she had one brother, two and a half years younger. A radical change occurred in Sylvia's life when she was eight: in November 1940, her father died after a long, difficult illness, and the mother and grandparents moved the family inland to the town of Wellesley, a conservative [image]
upper-middle-cla.s.s suburb of Boston. While the grandmother a.s.sumed the care of the household, Mrs. Plath taught students in the medical-secretarial training program at Boston University, commuting each day, and the grandfather worked as maitre d'hotel maitre d'hotel at the Brookline Country Club, where he lived during the week. Sylvia and her brother attended the local public schools. ”I went to public schools,” she wrote later, ”genuinely public. Everyone went.” At an early age she began to write poems and to draw in pen and ink--and to collect prizes with her first publication of each. By the time she was seventeen, her interest in writing had become disciplined and controlled. Publication, however, did not come easily; she had submitted forty-five pieces to the magazine at the Brookline Country Club, where he lived during the week. Sylvia and her brother attended the local public schools. ”I went to public schools,” she wrote later, ”genuinely public. Everyone went.” At an early age she began to write poems and to draw in pen and ink--and to collect prizes with her first publication of each. By the time she was seventeen, her interest in writing had become disciplined and controlled. Publication, however, did not come easily; she had submitted forty-five pieces to the magazine Seventeen Seventeen before her first short story, ”And Summer Will Not Come Again,” was published in the August 1950 issue. A poem, ”Bitter Strawberries,” a sardonic comment on war, was accepted and published in the same month by the before her first short story, ”And Summer Will Not Come Again,” was published in the August 1950 issue. A poem, ”Bitter Strawberries,” a sardonic comment on war, was accepted and published in the same month by the Christian Science Monitor. Christian Science Monitor. In her high school yearbook, In her high school yearbook, The Wellesleyan, The Wellesleyan, the girl who later described herself as a ”rabid teenage pragmatist” was pictured: the girl who later described herself as a ”rabid teenage pragmatist” was pictured: Warm smile...energetic worker...b.u.mble Boogie piano special...Clever with chalk and paints...Weekends at Williams....Those fully packed sandwiches... Future writer...Those rejection slips from Seventeen. Seventeen...Oh, for a license.
In September 1950, Sylvia entered Smith College in Northampton, Ma.s.sachusetts, the largest women's college in the world. She went on scholars.h.i.+p--one from the Wellesley Smith Club and one endowed by Olive Higgins Prouty, the novelist and author of Stella Dallas) Stella Dallas) later a friend and patron. These were the years in which Sylvia wrote poetry on a precise schedule, circled words in the red-leather thesaurus which had belonged to her father, maintained a detailed journal, kept a diligent sc.r.a.pbook, and studied with concentration. Highly successful as a student, she was also elected to cla.s.s and college offices; she became a member of the editorial board of later a friend and patron. These were the years in which Sylvia wrote poetry on a precise schedule, circled words in the red-leather thesaurus which had belonged to her father, maintained a detailed journal, kept a diligent sc.r.a.pbook, and studied with concentration. Highly successful as a student, she was also elected to cla.s.s and college offices; she became a member of the editorial board of The Smith Review) The Smith Review) went for weekends to men's colleges, and published stories and poems in went for weekends to men's colleges, and published stories and poems in Seventeen. Seventeen. But at the time she wrote in a letter: ”for the few little outward successes I may seem to have, there are acres of misgiving and self-doubt.” Of this period a friend later said: ”It was as if Sylvia couldn't wait for life to come to her.... She rushed out to greet it, to make things happen.” But at the time she wrote in a letter: ”for the few little outward successes I may seem to have, there are acres of misgiving and self-doubt.” Of this period a friend later said: ”It was as if Sylvia couldn't wait for life to come to her.... She rushed out to greet it, to make things happen.”
As she became increasingly conscious of herself as a woman, the conflict between the life-style of a poet/intellectual and that of a wife and mother became a central preoccupation, and she wrote: ”...it's quite amazing how I've gone around for most of my life as in the rarefied atmosphere under a bell jar.” In August 1951 she won Mademoiselle Mademoiselle magazine's fiction contest with a short story, ”Sunday at the Mintons,” and in the following year, her junior year in college, Sylvia was awarded two Smith poetry prizes and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and to Alpha, the Smith College honorary society for the arts. Then in the summer of 1952 she was chosen to be a guest editor in magazine's fiction contest with a short story, ”Sunday at the Mintons,” and in the following year, her junior year in college, Sylvia was awarded two Smith poetry prizes and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and to Alpha, the Smith College honorary society for the arts. Then in the summer of 1952 she was chosen to be a guest editor in Mademoiselle's Mademoiselle's College Board Contest. In her sc.r.a.pbook, she described the beginning of that month in New York in the breathy style of the magazine: College Board Contest. In her sc.r.a.pbook, she described the beginning of that month in New York in the breathy style of the magazine: After being one of the two national winners of Mademoiselle's Mademoiselle's fiction contest ($500!) last August, I felt that I was coming home again when I won a guest editors.h.i.+p representing Smith & took a train to NYC for a salaried month working--hatted & heeled--in fiction contest ($500!) last August, I felt that I was coming home again when I won a guest editors.h.i.+p representing Smith & took a train to NYC for a salaried month working--hatted & heeled--in Mlle Mlle's air conditioned Madison Ave. offices....Fantastic, fabulous, and all other inadequate adjectives go to describe the four gala and chaotic weeks I worked as guest managing Ed...living in luxury at the Barbizon, I edited, met celebrities, was feted and feasted by a galaxy of UN delegates, simultaneous interpreters & artists...an almost unbelievable merry-go-round month--this Smith Cinderella met idols: Vance Bourjaily, Paul Engle, Elizabeth Bowen--wrote article via correspondence with 5 handsome young male poet teachers.
The poets were Alistair Reid, Anthony Hecht, Richard Wilbur, George Steiner, and William Burford, whose pictures were accompanied by biographical notes and comments on poets and poetry.
After 230-odd pages of advertising, the bulk of the August 1953 college issue was introduced by Sylvia as Guest Managing Editor with ”Mile's ”Mile's last word on college, '53.” Under a vapid picture of the guest editors holding hands in star formation, dressed alike in tartan skirts with matching Eton caps and openmouthed smiles, she wrote: last word on college, '53.” Under a vapid picture of the guest editors holding hands in star formation, dressed alike in tartan skirts with matching Eton caps and openmouthed smiles, she wrote: We're stargazers this season, bewitched by an atmosphere of evening blue. Foremost in the fas.h.i.+on constellation we spot Mlle's Mlle's own tartan, the astronomic versatility of sweaters, and men, men, men--we've even taken the s.h.i.+rts off their backs! Focusing our telescope on college news around the globe, we debate and deliberate. Issues illuminated: academic freedom, the sorority controversy, our much labeled (and libeled) generation. From our favorite fields, stars of the first magnitude shed a bright influence on our plans for jobs and futures. Although horoscopes for our ultimate orbits aren't yet in, we Guest Eds. are counting on a favorable forecast with this sendoff from own tartan, the astronomic versatility of sweaters, and men, men, men--we've even taken the s.h.i.+rts off their backs! Focusing our telescope on college news around the globe, we debate and deliberate. Issues illuminated: academic freedom, the sorority controversy, our much labeled (and libeled) generation. From our favorite fields, stars of the first magnitude shed a bright influence on our plans for jobs and futures. Although horoscopes for our ultimate orbits aren't yet in, we Guest Eds. are counting on a favorable forecast with this sendoff from Mile, Mile, the star of the campus. the star of the campus.
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No doubt she was far more pleased with page 358--”Mlle. 358--”Mlle. finally published 'Mad Girl's Lovesong'--my favorite villanelle”: finally published 'Mad Girl's Lovesong'--my favorite villanelle”: 1) MAD GIRL'S LOVE SONG MAD GIRL'S LOVE SONG A VILLANELLE.
By Sylvia Plath Smith College, '54 I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead; I lift my lids and all is born again.
(I think I made you up inside my head. ) The stars go waltzing out in blue and red, And arbitrary blackness gallops in: I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane.
(I think I made you up inside my head. ) G.o.d topples from the sky, h.e.l.l's fires fade: Exit seraphim and Satan's men: I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
I fancied you'd return the way you said, But I grow old and I forget your name.
(I think I made you up inside my head. ) I should have loved a thunderbird instead; At least when spring comes they roar back again.
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
(I think I made you up inside my head. ) That summer, too, Harper's Magazine Harper's Magazine paid $100 for three poems which Sylvia identified as ”first professional earnings.” Later, a.s.sessing these bubbling achievements, she wrote, ”All in all, I felt upborne on a wave of creative, social and financial success--The six month crash, however, was to come--” paid $100 for three poems which Sylvia identified as ”first professional earnings.” Later, a.s.sessing these bubbling achievements, she wrote, ”All in all, I felt upborne on a wave of creative, social and financial success--The six month crash, however, was to come--”
These were the events which took place in her 'life in the summer and autumn of 1953--at the time of the electrocution of the Rosenbergs, at the time when Senator Joseph McCarthy was forcing his power, at the beginning of the Eisenhower presidency--these were the events which Sylvia Plath reconstructed in The Bell jar. The Bell jar. Years later she described the book she wanted to write: Years later she described the book she wanted to write: the pressures of the fas.h.i.+on magazine world which seems increasingly superficial and artificial, the return home to the dead summer world of a suburb of Boston. Here the cracks in her [the heroine, Esther Greenwood's] nature which had been held together as it were by the surrounding pressures of New York widen and gape alarmingly. More and more her warped view of the world around--her own vacuous domestic life, and that of her neighbors--seems the one right way of looking at things.