Roots of resistance: Second-wave feminism in Plath's The Bell Jar and Morrison's Sula

The primary objective of this study is to examine how the central concerns of second-wave feminism, such as the fight for gender equality, seeking autonomy, and resisting patriarchal society, are addressed in The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath and Sula by Toni Morrison through the lens of feminist literary theory. Using a comparative approach, this study explores how the novels portray the feminist struggles while revealing how feminism has historically prioritized the experiences of white, middle-class women and excluded the realities of many others, especially women of color. Morrison, with Sula, introduces a long-overdue intersectional analysis of how race and gender affect the lives of Black women; she expanded the movement to include marginalized voices, while The Bell Jar tells the emotional cost of social expectations on young women like Esther Greenwood. Both novels remain relevant and offer essential insight into contemporary conversations on gender equality and feminism.