The 1950s image of the perfect marriage, as depicted in television sitcoms of that era, shows a happy family with a loving and devoted wife, a handsome businessman husband and two or three children. What marriage, yesterday or today, does this idealistic version really represent? Over the past decades and especially in recent years, this version of marriage has changed significantly. The dynamics of how a marriage works have changed significantly since the 1950s. At that time, the wife was expected to stay home, have babies, and take care of the house while her husband worked. There is no longer a typical American marriage, every couple functions differently and is not expected to conform to the norms dictated by society. However, in the 1950s the situation was very different and young women knew that getting married meant washing dishes, preparing meals and taking care of all the household chores while taking care of the needs of their children and of her husband. In The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath, the main character Esther Greenberg struggles to choose between having the career she wants or settling down and raising a family. Throughout the novel, Esther feels dissatisfaction with many aspects of her life, which is amplified by psychological instability; however, her only concern that remains static throughout the novel is her uncertainty about the idea of ​​marriage. Esther Greenberg's concerns about marriage can be partly attributed to witnessing the tribulations of married women in her life. Esther fears that if she marries, she will become an overworked housewife and spend her days cooking, cleaning, and caring for everyone else who accepts her. The author says, "I knew that's what marriage was... middle of paper... between settling down and raising a family, or resisting societal pressures and pursuing a career." Esther felt that the last thing she wanted was to get married and be subjected to the monotony of marriage like she had seen in the marriages around her. Since this book was written, great strides have been made in female empowerment and now women can pursue their dreams without society dictating how they live their lives. Friedan, Betty. The feminine mystique. New York, NY: Dell Pub., 1984. Print2. Plath, Sylvia and Karen V. Kukil. The Complete Diaries of Sylvia Plath: 1950-1962: Transcribed from the Original Smith College Manuscripts. New York: Anchor, 2000. Print.3. Plath, Sylvie. The bell. New York: Harper Perrenial/Modern Classics, 2005. Print4. POLLARD, CLAIRE. Critical Quarterly, Fall 2006, Vol. 48 Number 3