Rewind: Career Vs. Love

Leslie Bell's 'Hard to Get: 20-Something Women and the Paradox of Sexual Freedom' explores the challenges young women face as they navigate love, sex, and relationships in the context of increased social and economic opportunities. The book examines how traditional gender roles and expectations still influence women's choices, creating a paradox between sexual freedom and the pursuit of personal and professional goals. Bell delves into the pressures women feel to prioritize relationships while also striving for career success, leading to internal conflicts and difficult decisions. Through interviews and analysis, the book provides insights into the complexities of modern female identity. It offers a framework for understanding the challenges and opportunities that shape the lives of contemporary women.

The Bell Jar is a thinly veiled autobiography that follows Esther Greenwood, a talented and ambitious college student, as she experiences a mental breakdown. The novel begins with Esther's unfulfilling summer internship as a guest editor for a women's magazine in New York City, where she grapples with identity and societal norms. Upon returning home, Esther's mental health deteriorates, leading to several suicide attempts and eventual hospitalization. The novel explores her treatment, including electroconvulsive therapy, and her gradual recovery under the care of a progressive psychiatrist. It also critiques the limited roles available to women in the 1950s and the brutal psychiatric treatments of the time.