Words are Forever

 Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar brings the audience into the mind of speaker - Esther Greenwood - and her attempt at navigating through life, despite her struggles with depression and overall sense of self. With this being said, while Greenwood is in a continual battle with her mental health, she still works to forge friendships and meaningful conversations with her peers. A primary example of which being her relationship with longtime friend, Buddy Willard. In saying this, while Greenwood continually expresses her love for Willard, there are definitely numerous instances in which the pair appear to be at odds. A major example of this occurred when the pair engaged in a conversation about poetry. 

Esther notes her rage and disbelief at Buddy for claiming that poetry is simply, "a piece of dust" (Plath, 56). In saying this, Buddy ultimately belittles of the power of words to that which is perishable - that which could be erased without a trace. While she was unable to think of an appropriate comeback, at the time, she expresses her true thoughts on the matter shortly after. In an attempt to explain how she feels on the topic she states, "So are the cadavers you cut up. So are the people you think you're curing. They're dust as dust as dust. I reckon a good poem lasts a whole lot longer than a hundred of those people put together" (Plath, 56). With this being said, Esther tries to explain the fact that it is not words that are perishable, it is we as human beings that are. Simply, our physical bodies will leave this earth, but our words and memories are that which live forever. 

While many songs and forms of media today address the conversation of memories, a primary example of which is Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days". For instance, Springsteen's song greatly delves into the ways in which these days will pass, but the memories of these times are that which live on forever. For instance, glory days well they'll pass you by glory days in the wink of a young girl's eye" (Springsteen). With this being said, Springsteen's mindset further exemplifies that of Esther - simply, the physical time of these days will pass by, but mentally and emotionally those days live on.