Mr. Krahel and Ms.

Damron
Assignment Sheet The Bell Jar Project
During our discussions of Sylvia Plaths groundbreaking novel, The Bell Jar, we have noted several
themes present in the book that continue to resonate in todays society. n particular, we have seen that
despite the progress we have made as a society since the !"#$s, we still fall victim to the ills of gender
stereotyping and rampant consumerism that plagued Plath and her contemporaries. %ach one of you has
felt and observed the conse&uences of these social conventions, and we have no doubt that you have a lot
to say about them.
'he notorious Bell Jar pro(ects are now upon us. )hile your pro(ects will re&uire a great deal of work
from each of you, we encourage you to see them as an opportunity to e*press yourself creatively. )e are
not e*aggerating when we say that the future of +merican society depends upon free and open e*changes
of ideas, and with these pro(ects, you will be participating in (ust such a discussion.
,elow are some of the themes-ideas you might choose as a starting point for your pro(ect.
Object vs. Subject of Desire (objectification)
Dismemberment Imagery
Thinness/oo! Imagery
"oman vs. "oman (inclu!e conce#t of !o##elganger)
Being stifle!/silencing
The male ga$e
Triviali$ation of %o&er (inclu!e maga$ines/T' a!s/fashion)
'iolence against "omen
Se(uali$ation of )hil!ren an! Infants (e.g. chil! #ageants)
The ig Tree (#ossibilities for &omen then an! no&)
*our choice+ &ith teacher a##roval
,ecause we want these pro(ects to be genuine e*pressions of your individuality, we are not re&uiring that
you use a specific format. Many pro(ects in the past have taken the form of videos, which is perfectly
acceptable. f you choose to do something different, it will have to be presentable as a display in the theater
lobby. +lso, please note that +// P012%3'S will involve delivering a speech that you have 4or that your
group has5 written. /ike an artists statement beside a painting in a museum, your speech will e*plain your
work, which will help us understand and conte*tuali6e your intended goals.
+long with this assignment sheet, you will be receiving a calendar and a rubric that tells you when specific
components of your pro(ect are due. 7owever, all of you need to be ready to rehearse your finished pro(ect
by MARCH 17
TH
/18
TH
. 'he actual presentations will happen FRIDAY MARCH !1
st
"#$D%$SDAY
MARCH !&
th
4specific group dates to be determined5. t is your responsibility to meet all deadlines8 one
point of your overall grade per day will be deducted for any components that are turned in late.
You are highly encouraged to incorporate material used in class in your project.
Parents and other students, as well as teachers and administrators, will be in your audience, so S'+9D
1:'; Do something engaging; ,e creative; nspire us; <ood luck;