| The Bell Jar Lesson Plan |
| Title Nature or Nurture? Sylvia Plath�s The Bell Jar Overview Using Plath�s The Bell Jar, students will discuss the novel�s protagonist, Esther Greenwood, and whether her depression is largely a part of her environment or whether it�s a reflection of her mental health. The Bell Jar (1967) is an autobiographical novel of Plath�s own mental breakdown and suicide attempt. It deals with what happens to a young woman�s aspirations in a society that refuses to take her seriously, �a society that expects electroshock to cure the despair of a sensitive young artist whose search for identity becomes a terrifying descent toward madness.� (New York Times Book Review) Goals Students will be able to evaluate Greenwood�s situation and draw conclusions about the environment in which she lives. Students will be able to think critically about and draw comparisons between Greenwood�s perceived environmental or personal influences, and their own lives. Materials/Resources The Bell Jar, paper, writing utensils, discussion questions, and scripts for Reader�s Theater. Activities/Procedures After the novel has been discussed at length on previous days, assign students to groups for Reader�s Theater and ask them to write their own scripts from any part of The Bell Jar. Today, students will present. After each presentation, ask each group to explain how the �act� or �scene� makes them feel about Esther Greenwood. Is she succumbing to her environment, or is her depression a product of her own mental health? After all presentations are finished, ask students to free-write for the remainder of the hour. They should be working on a personal narrative/essay comparing Greenwood�s experiences to their own, finding similarities or differences where appropriate. Accommodations I believe this lesson will succeed with a variety of learning levels and styles. Extensions A good option may be to pair The Bell Jar up with �The Yellow Wallpaper,� the short story written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Or, for a more contemporary approach to the environment, use Monster by Walter Dean Myers or Girl, Interrupted. Assessment Students will earn points for participating in Reader�s Theater, and will also earn points for handing in a rough draft of the personal narrative/essay. It will be due at the beginning of the hour tomorrow, and will be peer edited. |