Paper Topic: The Bell Jar essay assignment

1. Introduction

Women’s role and place according to society back in the 1960’s

1. Society’s expectations of woman’s role
2. Definition of gender
3. Definition of gender role (components of gender)

Second wave feminist

1. What is it?
2. How did it begin?
3. What did they fight for?

Thesis Statement

The Bell Jar brings to light the situation of women in the 1960s and shows the reasons why the second wave feminist has fought long and hard for women rights.

Body

Main Point: woman’s dissatisfactions (feminine mystique)

1. females want more out of life
2. she knows who she is and what she wants for her future ( no marriage)
3. she wants a career ( 13 years of all A’s) and would not give it up to be a housewife
4. she feels that marriage and children brainwashed a woman.
5. Females being known as neurotic because they were not satisfied with being a wife and mother
6. Buddy calling Esther neurotic (a person who wants two mutually exclusive things at the same time) because she wanted a career and maybe a family.
7. Esther’s illness because she could not conformed to society’s expectations and gender role even though she was not wrong for wanting more out of life than just being a housewife.

Main Point:  Career advancement

1. Mrs. Willard has married and leaves her career as a teacher.
2. Dr. Nolan being a female psychiatrist at that period of time.
3. Jay Cee being a married woman with a career being the head of the magazine.
4. Esther conflicted about her career choice but sure she does not want to get married.

Main Point: Reproductive rights

1. Against the law to have birth control pills: females were encouraged to leave work and stay home to have babies
2. Dr. Nolan telling her the defense of chastity
3. Esther is embarrassed to tell the real reason for her visit for her birth control pills by saying she is there for a fitting visit at the doctor’s office
4. Esther wanting to have the freedom men has without worrying about pregnancy.

Main Point: Sexual double standard

1. Buddy was not judged for losing his virginity
2. Esther was being that Mrs. Willard could tell by staring hard at her to determine if she was a virgin or not
3. Esther’s description of Doreen being compared to a black woman because of the misconception of black woman being sexually open.
4. Irwin having different females’ friends.

III. Conclusion

The second wave feminist brings to light a lot of things that woman were not satisfied with even though they were taught to be happy with the life they have. The wave brings to light that they were not alone in their sentiment to want more