The Bell Jar
Brief: Design a book jacket inspired by Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar.
The Bell Jar is the famous novel written by the American writer and poet, Sylvia Plath. The story focuses on the mental decline of Esther Greenwood; a guest editor for a magazine in New York City who experiences burnout and moves back home. There, she is forced to question the inner workings of her mind and whether she has a future. One quote in particular stood out:
“I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and offbeat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn't quite make out. I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn't make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.”
The cover illustration draws inspiration from this quote, as the figs gradually darken as they descend across the page. The style is intentionally designed to resemble oil pastels, evoking a sketchy and vibrant appearance, which aligns with the character’s attempt to construct an identity. The back cover then features a solitary fig, contributing to the sparse and isolated ambience, mirroring the emotional state of the protagonist, Esther.
The book’s title “THE BELL JAR” is prominently displayed at the centre of the cover, separated from the author’s name, Sylvia Plath, by distinct fonts. The title is rendered in all caps and boldface, ensuring the visibility against the vibrant and colourful fig drawings. In contrast, Plath’s name is written in cursive, evoking a sense of maturity and diary-like authenticity, as the narrative draws heavily from Plath’s personal experiences. The cursive handwriting aligns with the natural flow of the fig illustration, creating a cohesive visual effect. This juxtaposition of bold, solid text with a cursive handwriting highlights the internal conflicts experienced by Esther, the protagonist, as the story explores the clash between the modern and natural worlds.
The spine in the book is adorned with a gradual accumulation of rotting figs, providing a subtle yet significant insight into the cover’s theme and the underlying narrative.