Sylvia Plath’s fig tree analogy from her novel The Bell Jar is one of the most famous and widely recognized literary metaphors in modern history. For those that are unfamiliar, Plath’s character, Esther, describes sitting at the base of a fig tree staring up at all the figs and seeing them as the possibilities in her life. As time goes on, she is unable to choose which fig to eat, so they all start to rot and fall down around her as she goes hungry.
At first glance, this metaphor is about the paralyzing fear of making a choice, or rather, the wrong choice. These figs represent possible futures, hobbies, or pursuits, and all that’s left to do is choose one. What I think Esther fails to consider in this story is that making a choice doesn’t have to mean that the rest of the figs rot and die off.
In reading the analogy, it’s easy to view Esther and the tree as separate entities, but looking at it that way means being resigned the finite potential of the future. I think that because the tree is a function of Esther’s life, the things she enjoys, and the future she sees for herself, the tree is a part of her. It, along with the figs, has the ability to grow and change with Esther, meaning the tree doesn’t exist only in this one instance where she feels she has to make a choice.
A lot of people who identify as overachievers relate to this analogy because at times it can feel like you have to give up things you love in order to nurture and prioritize other things that are important to you. While there’s often a lot of pressure to make the “right” decisions when it comes to your life and future, you don’t have to choose one fig and let the rest of them just rot. Dedicating yourself to something doesn’t mean you have to give up everything else that you love. I believe that if that passion or idea still exists inside of you, then the fig hasn’t rotted.