Résumé:
This thesis examines The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath through the lens of Carl Jung’s archetypes and Louis Althusser’s notion of interpellation. The central aim of this study is to explore how the internal psychological means and external societal structures collaboratively contribute to the formation of Esther Greenwood’s character by employing a close reading and textual analysis.
By examining Jungian archetypes—such as the persona and the self—alongside Althusser’s
concept of interpellation, this study provides a deeper insight into the novel. Focusing on the novel’s main character, this study applies an integrated theoretical framework that combines the archetypes within the collective unconscious and interpellation to examine her self-formation.
Esther’s character could be better understood when analyzed through a combined framework.
Thus, using their interplay will provide a deeper interpretation of Esther’s character and
highlights the study’s contribution to literary analysis. This thesis illustrates that not only is
Esther’s character is internay shaped, however, it is also trapped within the dominant ideological structures. Therefore, this study reveas that the tension between her unconscious and societal expectations are key factors of her identity and self formation. The thesis is organized into two main chapters: the first outlines the theoretical framework, and the second one applies it through a critical reading of The Bell Jar.
