"Female Relationships, Motherhood, and Loss of Language in 'The Bell Jar' and 'Mothers'"

Abstract

The Bell Jar and “Mothers” portray dissonant relationships between women and ambivalent positions in relation to language. In the novel, young Esther Greenwood struggles to appropriate a language of her own, whereas in the short story, the protagonist, also named “Esther,” types her husband’s works, with no apparent interest in writing her own words. In this essay, I analyze both narratives in terms of female relationships, motherhood, and loss of language, discussions that are grounded in the works of French philosopher Luce Irigaray. I argue that there is no possible sorority in the women’s groups presented in The Bell Jar and “Mothers” as both narratives depict female characters who, reduced to the functions of mother and wife, end up reinforcing patriarchal values. Although the novel’s Esther criticizes the hypocrisy of gender norms, especially how her writing goals are seen as incompatible with being female, her present-time situation is defined by her status as a mother. Similarly, in “Mothers,” the other Esther creates a sense of belonging in a new community based solely on her being one of its mothers. I thus argue that these two Esthers have more in common than just their names, and I investigate evidence that shows that this might be more than just a coincidence. By juxtaposing The Bell Jar’s Esther’s anxieties about writing and the fact that she is later able to narrate her breakdown to the reductive role of typist of one’s husband’s writings presented in the third-person “Mothers,” I propose that the Esther from the short story might be seen as a final figure of a loss of language originated in the novel. Finally, I claim that, by depicting this loss, Plath is providing a critique, which I approximate to Irigaray’s notion of mimesis.