The Bell Jar and One Flew

I'm comparing the texts The Bell Jar and One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest for my English Cwk. I'm going to compare the ways in which Plath and Kesey use images to represent mental illness. I have a few comparisons in mind, just wondering if you guys had any suggestions? I loved reading The Bell Jar... found One Flew quite difficult to plod through but it is still a great book. What did you think?

Reply 1

Annie Hall

1

Well, on the whole, you could look at the role of unreliable narrator. both the chief and Esther are going to be biased somewhat.

It's been a while since i've read One Flew... but from what I can remember, Kesey keeps referring back to the chief's childhood, and his father etc. You could compare this with Esther's father- They both lost their fathers (even though, i think, the chief's didn't die, he just gave himself up to the land developers, and stopped being the big tall man the chief thought he was) and in that they lost their role models, and so on and so forth.
So I guess childhood/ memory is one way you can directly compare

and contrast would be the way that Kesey is a lot more literal in his images, whereas Plath is more figurative and places a lot of emphasis on similes especially. What's the effect of this, and how do the writers use these techniques to directly influence how the story is received?

bla bla bla. Sorry, i'm very tired, and i can't remember very much of One Flew.. Anything specific about the Bell Jar, though, I can deffo help you with. I've read it about a million times.

Reply 2

Laus

OP

13

Thanks for that. I found those ideas really helpful.. I love the Bell Jar and could read it over and over.. I'm struggling more with One Flew. I feel like I have too much information to work with. Anyway, I do have a few questions but they will have to wait till later... I have lots to do today! Thanks again for the response. Speak soon x x x

Reply 3

sssh

10

Oooh...I love these books...you're very lucky to be doing them, I was stuck with "the Color Purple" and "Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit". I grew to love "Oranges..." but the Color Purple is stupid and unrealistic. It has such a crap ending.

As I haven't studied them I can't really give you the kind of pointing in the right direction you're looking for in terms of questions and themes and things, I just thought I'd tell you that there's much worse stuff you could be doing. EDIT: actually, you couldn't anymore because the two I did aren't on the syllabus now!

Reply 4

Laus

OP

13

I'm just re-reading One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest... It's actually a lot better the second time round! I think I read it too quickly to start with. I can't say i've heard of the books "the Colour Purple" and "Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit"!

Harpy - Did you study or are you studying The Bell Jar and One Flew now?

Reply 5

Annie Hall

1

I am studying the Bell Jar now. Doing a lovely 4000 words extended essay on the sexualisation of death. And i'm Wayyy over the word count. Grrr.

Anything you need help with?

Reply 6

Danny the Geezer

21

I did the exact same study and got an A.

Reply 7

Laus

OP

13

Hey harpy, I have a few ideas down. There are a lot of images in both texts... I'm just not entirely sure which ones are representative of mental illness. I just need some sort of plan or structure... I have a lot of information (having read both texts twice in some detail) but I still can't seem to make it all fit.

Nice to know you got an A jaydoh - well done! What question did you do?

One flew over the cuckoo's nest is so much better the second time round! weird that

Reply 8

Danny the Geezer

21

Laus

Hey harpy, I have a few ideas down. There are a lot of images in both texts... I'm just not entirely sure which ones are representative of mental illness. I just need some sort of plan or structure... I have a lot of information (having read both texts twice in some detail) but I still can't seem to make it all fit.

Nice to know you got an A jaydoh - well done! What question did you do?

One flew over the cuckoo's nest is so much better the second time round! weird that

My question was "Discuss the way the two texts portray mental health through a variety of sources". Or something like that.

Reply 9

Laus

OP

13

Did you home in in images at all?

Reply 10

Annie Hall

1

Images..

Plath uses the beating heart a lot.
The fig tree
water/bathing/cleansing-- all linked to purity

Reply 11

shihab1

can anyone give me some themes in comparison 2 both novels?
exams on friday so hurry!

Reply 12

xxtasha123xx

Original post by Annie Hall

I am studying the Bell Jar now. Doing a lovely 4000 words extended essay on the sexualisation of death. And i'm Wayyy over the word count. Grrr.

Anything you need help with?

Hello, i am currently studying the bell jar, one flew over and the graduate, as this is independant studies i need a topic to dicuss all of these and compare, sexualisation of death sounds great theme if you could possibly throw me some hints and examples of things to talk about that would be great

The Bell Jar and One Flew

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