Feminist Approach in Sylvia Plath's Novel The Bell Jar

Women's freedom has been severely restricted from the past until now, especially in a patriarchal society. The restriction of patriarchal culture affects women's lives in various sectors. This study aims to analyse the way patriarchal culture is portrayed in the novel The Bell Jar. The research design is qualitative research with descriptive analysis method. The approach used to analyse the research data is feminism literature. The object of study in this research is the novel The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. This research reveals the representation of patriarchal culture through the portrayal of Esther who experiences patriarchal constraints and social expectations that burden women within the family, as well as the patriarchal social system supported by government policies. This research also reveals the discourse of resistance promoted through Esther Greenwood's character in The Bell Jar against patriarchal culture, such as defying expectations to undergo traditional domestic roles and choosing to pursue a career and education to achieve goals in writing.