What is a "bell jar"? sylvia plath...?

Question

First off, it is a great book you should read it, but what symbolic significance does a 'bell jar' have to the meaning of the text?

Answer 1

THIS is a bell jar:
http://www.biblelandstudios.com/images/reward/pedro/Pedro%20Bell%20Jar%20150dpi.jpeg

(The thing the statue is under, obviously, not the statue itself.)

In the book, it symbolizes that the protagonist feels totally isolated from the world - like she's under a bell jar and nothing touches her, nor can she touch anything. However, at the same time, she feels watched and under scrutiny from others.

Answer 2

Stuffed Laboratory specimens are kept on display under a glass jar shaped like a bell.She was describing what she felt like.