As one of the most renowned and well-known literary critics in the world of composition, Harold Bloom has granted himself the privilege of clarifying the reasons for which we read. From human connection to self-realization to knowledge acquisition, he passionately and unquestionably adheres that “the strongest and most genuine motive for deep reading…is the pursuit of difficult pleasure.” Bloom, as an experienced reviewer, fully recognizes the task of judging a book on its merit. Harold Bloom understands that we read not only to learn literary composition, but also because "we need knowledge, not only of ourselves and others, but also of what things are." » This holds true for virtually all humans for any great writing assignment. Moreover, this “difficult pleasure” is not entertainment or even frivolous enjoyment as one might initially assume. This difficult pleasure refers to just the opposite: the need to improve ourselves, expand our minds, and somehow understand the world in which we live. Many authors who seek this understanding fall short of their expectations and find themselves questioning life even more. than they had done before their efforts. An example of this would be author and poet Sylvia Plath, whose novel The Bell Jar parallels tragic events throughout her own life. This coming-of-age story follows the life of Esther, a very bright and introverted student from Boston. She spends a month in New York as a competition-winning junior editor for a magazine, where the limitless possibilities for her future become increasingly overwhelming and intimidating. She quickly realizes that although she is smart and hardworking, she is completely middle of the paper. The connection with Sylvia Plath is so strong that her story has become a way of accepting the elements. of my own life. His unwavering spirit and persevering mindset inspired me to define my own inner worth, rather than allowing the approval of others to characterize who I am. The Bell Jar continues to inspire and enlighten its readers as it depicts a gripping descent into mental illness. This great work of literature achieves the goal of providing "hard fun" by demonstrating how any problem, big or small, can affect an individual on the deepest, most personal level. In the words of Harold Bloom, The Bell Jar, like every great novel throughout history, allows us to "read deeply, not to believe, not to accept, not to contradict, but to learn to share this unique nature that writes and reads »..”