The Fig Tree Allegory

Sylvia Plath, the dark queen of dark literature, mentioned the fig tree allegory in The Bell Jar. She had found one of the best ways to summarize a situation that every person—past, present, and future—is bound to experience.

So, what is this fig tree allegory?

"I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn't make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest. And as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and blacken, one by one, and plop to the ground at my feet."

This is how Plath described one of humanity’s greatest struggles—being paralyzed by the sheer number of possibilities and the fear of making the wrong choice. Our minds are so advanced that we can vividly imagine countless scenarios as if we are actually living them. This pushes us to pick one of these possibilities, but it also traps us in an endless loop of hesitation.

One of the biggest issues here is our reluctance to accept the harsh truth that we cannot live every life we imagine. The reality is, we don’t have as many choices as we think. A person who spends their whole life believing in a love story like the ones in movies might leave this world without ever experiencing such a relationship. Just because we can dream it doesn’t mean we can make it happen. Our options are not as limitless as they seem.

People of all ages struggle with decisions about the future, but your twenties are probably when this struggle is at its peak. The world demands that you define yourself, and in the rush to do so, you become overwhelmed. There are so many paths to take, so many things you need to achieve all at once. You should learn multiple languages, get married, find a high-paying job and excel at it, do whatever everyone else is doing, socialize, get good grades, become someone respected, keep up with the ever-changing world while staying mentally stable… You can be everything. Or nothing at all.

These unrealistic expectations turn life into a never-ending exam—one where you’re constantly tested, where your efforts are overlooked in favor of results.

Let’s say you somehow narrow down your options and choose to dedicate yourself to becoming a world-class pianist. Throughout your journey, you will inevitably compare yourself to those who chose different paths. Every struggle, every difficulty will make you wonder if you made the right choice. Seeing people who took different routes and seem happier will turn into an ever-growing weight of regret. Most people have felt this at least once: "I could have been that instead. I could have done things differently. But I didn’t…" And now, all that’s left is to move forward, knowing you might never be as happy as you could have been.

This anxiety drives some people to the point where they dream of doing everything at once but end up doing nothing at all. And that’s when the figs begin to rot and fall to the ground, one by one. Instead of choosing one possibility and regretting it, we want to wait and consider every option. We believe that, at the right time, we will make the perfect choice and live the best possible life. But one day, we wake up and realize that time has run out, and there isn’t a single fig left to pick.

So, what should we do? Honestly, there’s no definite answer. But if there’s one thing I believe, it’s that instead of turning life into a race in a world full of uncertainties, we should try to do what brings us peace. Of course, that’s not possible for everyone, but life itself is already an adventure. The mere fact that we exist is enough of a reason to keep going. Since we are here, we have no choice but to live this life, one way or another. Instead of exhausting ourselves with endless possibilities, maybe we should sometimes let life take us where it wants.

Every decision we make reveals something about us—not just about our present selves but also about our past, our upbringing, and the influences that shaped us.

Our entire existence is a constant search for balance. "Once I graduate, everything will be great." "Once I get a job, I’ll finally be at peace." "Once I get married, my life will be in order." But balance, in its truest form, only comes with death. We never really stop moving—not even in sleep, when we continue to breathe. And because life isn’t just about us, there are countless external factors that will throw unexpected surprises our way. No one plans for heartbreak or betrayal. Plath certainly didn’t, yet she experienced it. Maybe, in the end, she believed she had chosen the wrong fig, and that realization led her to take her own life. Maybe she thought there were no figs left for her at all.

Dreaming is beautiful. It keeps us motivated. It gives us reasons to wake up every morning. But in a world full of uncertainties, instead of obsessing over making the perfect choice or wondering if we made the right one, perhaps we should focus on making our choices right. We should take advantage of the opportunities we have—but also learn to be content when necessary and acknowledge the things beyond our control.

At the end of the day, we all live in our own world of possibilities. Dreaming, working toward those dreams, and striving for a better future is undoubtedly important. But we must also remember that not everything is in our hands, and sometimes, we have to quietly bury certain dreams where they stand.

I’ve always loved the saying, “When one door closes, another opens.” Because it’s true. We need to emotionally prepare ourselves not only for the joy of seeing our dreams come true but also for the reality that some of them never will.