Plath & Wharton/Society’s Expectations for Women

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A 10 page research paper/essay that closely examines Wharton’s protagonist in The House of Mirth, Lily Bart, and Plath’s heroine in The Bell Jar, Esther Greenwood. The writer argues that there are sharp contrasts between these protagonists that suggest that Plath’s portrayal of Esther’s adaptation to the forces of society over which she has no control is fundamentally healthier than the way in which Wharton’s heroine reacts to these same patriarchal and materialistic forces. However, this examination also shows that ultimately, the effects on the two women’s lives are very much the same. Bibliography lists 10 sources.