Sylvia Plath's adult life consisted of her marriage to Ted Hughes, also a famous poet, on June 16, 1956 at St. George the Martyr's Church. Plath became a first-year English teacher at Smith College and described the work as exhausting. She gave birth to her first child, Frieda Rebecca Plath, on April 1, 1960. In February 1961, Plath suffered a miscarriage. A year later, she gave birth to her last child, Nicholas Farrar, on January 17, 1962. Her marriage to Hughes became difficult to maintain after the birth of both children and she was often left alone with the children. In late September 1962, Plath discovered that Hughes had been unfaithful and the couple were legally separating. Sylvia Plath died on February 11, 1963, at the age of thirty-one. She committed suicide by placing her head in the oven while the gas was on (SOURCE). Plath was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her poetry posthumously. She has also received the IMPAC Dublin International Literary Prize and Book of the Month Club selection. The Bell Jar contains many autobiographical elements such as Esther's trait of intelligence and her erudition Mademoiselle. Sylvia Plath's personal experiences are also reflected in The Bell Jar, such as her rejection from the Harvard summer writing program, her breakdown after rejection, her suicide attempt, and her institutionalization (SOURCE). Sylvia Plath uses themes, symbolism, and structure productively in The Bell. Many important themes are evident in the novel. A dominant theme is the social pressure placed on young women to marry. Esther's relationship with Buddy Willard suggests that she must change through mating, marriage, and motherhood. The novel indirectly sustains...... middle of paper ......ances. Plath's narration of the novel is told through Esther Greenwood's first-person narration. Esther is an intelligent young woman who shares her thoughts on her life experiences throughout the novel. The narration is chronological, although it sometimes changes back and forth. Overall, it's very simple and well implemented.REVIEWSSylvia Plath's works were heavily influenced by her personal life experiences and her struggle with extreme depression. His novel The Bell Jar reveals a raw emotion and delicate understanding of mental illness that parallels its onset. Sylvia Plath's use of personal experiences helps give the book a sense of reality. The novel's exquisite use of symbolism, themes, and structure has allowed The Bell Jar to receive exceptional reviews. The Bell Jar is a critically acclaimed classic and holds a pride of place in American fiction..