In Sylvia Plath’s “The Bell Jar,” protagonist Esther Greenwood grapples with the paralysis of choice, visualized through the metaphor of a fig tree representing multiple life paths. Overwhelmed by possibilities and fear of missing out, Esther’s struggle highlights the importance of decision-making in giving life meaning. Ultimately, one must seize opportunities rather than succumb to indecision.
Author: Karolina Košak
Why Do We Need To Decide In Life?
Note: Minor spoilers (The Bell Jar)
Self-realization and the ability to achieve what we want is one of the things that humans desire the most. To be able to lead our lives and rule for ourselves is crucial. However, this undoubtedly requires the power of decision making, better said the ability to make the right decisions. But what can you do if you do not even know what you want? What decisions should you make then? What to do when your life looks like a Fig Tree with branches leading to endless different possibilities, all of which you want, but cannot decide which to pursue? This is exactly the problem that the protagonist of Sylvia Plath´s semi-autobiographical novel “The Bell Jar,” experiences.
The story takes place in 1953 and follows the story of Esther Greenwood, a 19-year-old undergraduate who is participating in a summer internship at Ladies´ Day magazine in New York City. Despite following her so-called plans, she is unable to be excited by her internship work, fashion and New York, all the things she thought she would adore. At the rise of her adult life and the beginning of her career, Eshter begins to wonder about her future after school, when her former academic achievements will dismantle in value. Anxiety and lack of orientation take over her thoughts, she begins to see her life as a fig tree with multiple opportunities, such as having a traditional family, becoming a poet, professor, editor, traveling the world and being an Olympic champion amongst many more possibilities. She begins to feel overwhelmed and cannot choose any of them.
“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 hyperbole, “starving to death,” presents the feeling of the paralysis that results from the fear of staying in one place in your life and not evolving. The figs rotting away symbolizes your opportunities in life slipping out of your hands and breaking apart in front of you. The entire fig tree is a metaphor for the daunting prospect of choosing in what direction your life will be headed. Sylvia Plath shows the fear every individual has, of our opportunities fading away because we were unable to make up our minds, of choosing the wrong fig and regretting it. The fig tree shows us the fear of helplessness arising from not knowing what you want to be yet.
This leads us to the key part of life, hence making decisions. We must make decisions, not only because we would be stuck in place otherwise, but because our life will go on anyway and decisions will be made for us. If we do not stand up for ourselves, then we will never be taken into account. Take the most banal example of a group of friends trying to decide where to eat dinner, if you never take the initiative to express your wish, you will always be guided by others. Now this can also occur in a workspace, or in your personal relations, resulting in other people and society shaping your life, forcing a fig into your mouth. Making your own choices is what gives your life a meaning. It helps us grow and be independent and know our worth.
In conclusion, we are now conflicted with the idea that we must immediately know what we want to become in life, which is horrifying, horrendous, and impossible to accurately predict. The fig tree isn´t there to tempt us into immediately eating the figs all at once, trying to force our life to go a certain way. Rather it is a symbol to show that you cannot let the world decide for you, you cannot just sit in despair whilst others make decisions for you. You must decide for yourself, take accountability for your decisions. You must figure out what you are passionate about, to see what type of life you want to create. All the figs should be seen as an opportunity rather than a blockade.
Cover Image by: JackieLou DL from Pixabay
