1. Is “The Bell Jar” a novel? Why?

2. Is Plath’s portrayal of mental illness convincing?

3. How does our knowledge that the author eventually killed herself affect our reading of the book?

4. What does the book tell us about the historical era in the USA and its dominant world view, values?

5. Is there a connection between Plath’s “The Bell Jar” and Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye”?