Sylvia Plath Essay - 1700 Words

Sylvia Plath was a troubled writer to say the least, not only did she endure the loss of her father a young age but she later on â€Å"attempted suicide at her home and was hospitalized, where she underwent psychiatric treatment† for her depression (Dunn). Writing primarily as a poet, she only ever wrote a single novel, The Bell Jar. This fictional autobiography â€Å"[chronicles] the circumstances of her mental collapse and subsequent suicide attempt† but from the viewpoint of the fictional protagonist, Esther Greenwood, who suffers the same loss and challenges as Plath (Allen 890). Due to the novel’s strong resemblance to Plath’s own history it was published under the pseudonym â€Å"Victoria Lucas†. In The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath expresses the†¦show more content†¦The pain and trauma that stem from Esther’s illness have warped her view of the world around her. However, this symbol also represents the pressures put on women in the 1950s to be what was considered ideal for women during this era. The bell jar â€Å"suggests more than Esther’s inner alienated world†, it also â€Å"signifies society which destroys Esther† and â€Å"symbolizes ‘scientific punishment’ for non-conformists† (Evans 105). She â€Å"must combat the additional alienation of being an aspiring woman in an era of strict limitations for women† which only hinders her further from her goals in life (Axelrod). While many women at the time planned on marrying and settling down, Esther does not view these expectations for women in the same way and instead wishes to be her own independent person. While working as the guest editor of Mademoiselle, a fashion magazine, Esther â€Å"suffocates under the bell jar forced on her by a competitive, male-oriented society†(Evans 105). During the fifties women were not expected to have successful careers in general and the male dominant world held a hig h level of competition; while trying to come out on top in this society Esther ends up cracking under the intense pressure. Representing both the stifling social limits set on women and the protagonist’s dismal mental state, the bell jar is a robust symbol in this novel. Using an atypical heroine, Plath adroitlyShow MoreRelatedSylvia Plath836 Words   |  4 Pages Sylvia Plath is said to be one the most prodigious, yet interesting, confessional poets of her time. She was an extremely vital poet of the post-World War II time period and expressed her feelings towards her father and husband through her poetry. Plath’s mental illness had a dramatic influence upon her work in which she demonstrated the hatred she had for her father specifically. The poem â€Å"Daddy† is an easily applicable example. Within this piece of work, Plath uses direct references to howRead More`` Daddy `` By Sylvia Plath1013 Words   |  5 Pages In Sylvia Plath’s poem, â€Å"D addy†, she shows her emotions for her father, Otto Plath. Sylvia Plath lost her father at eight years old when she still had much love for him (Famous People â€Å"Biography†). After a number of years, hatred is built up inside of Sylvia towards her father. When her father first died, she loved him and she grieved over her father’s death. After years of confusion, she eventually decided and wrote, â€Å"Daddy, Daddy, you bastard, I’m through† (Line 80). In â€Å"Daddy† by Sylvia PlathRead MoreEssay On Sylvia Plath1607 Words   |  7 Pageshas to offer. Sylvia Plath was a confessional poet, using her personal experiences and very real situations to give â€Å"negative† emotions the artistic charm and characteristics traditionally saved for â€Å"positive† emotions. Her father died in her eighth year of life, and although this event tormented her until her own death, time went on. She married Ted Hughes, the two of them encouragi ng each other’s careers as much as they could, but still there was tension between them. It was when Plath learnt of herRead MoreBiography of Sylvia Plath942 Words   |  4 Pagestwentieth century, Sylvia Plath was highly esteemed by fans and fellow writers alike. Sylvia Plath’s parents, Aurelia Schober and Otto Plath, had met when Aurelia became Otto’s student at Boston University. Otto was a biology professor with an infatuation with bees; he had even published a book titled Bumblebees and their ways. Otto and Aurelia married in January of 1932, and by October of the same year Aurelia gave birth in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts to a daughter, Sylvia. Sylvia spent her childhoodRead More Sylvia Plath Essay2106 Words   |  9 Pages Sylvia Plath was a gifted writer, poet and verbal artist whose personal anguish and torment visibly manifested itself in her work. Much of her angst stems from her warped relationship with her father. Other factors that influenced her works were her strained views of human sexuality, her sado-masochistic tendencies, self-hatred and her traditional upbringing. She was labeled as a confessional poet and biographical and historical material is absolutely necessary to understand her work. SylivaRead MoreThe Life Of Sylvia Plath Essay1313 Words   |  6 PagesThe Life of Sylvia Plath Sylvia Plath was a very dedicated author who lived from 1932-1963. She is best known for her poetry. Plath started writing and was a published poet at a very young age. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Plath’s first poem was published when she was eight years old. â€Å"Plath’s poems explore her own mental anguish, her troubled marriage to fellow poet Ted Hughes, her unresolved conflicts with her parents, and her own vision of herself†(Poetry Foundation). Plath was a devotedRead MoreBiography of Sylvia Plath1452 Words   |  6 PagesCritical Analysis Sylvia Plath, a great American author, focuses mostly on actual experiences. Plath’s poetry displays feelings and emotions. Plath had the ability to transform everyday happenings into poems or diary entries. Plath had a passion for poetry and her work was valued. She was inspired by novelists and her own skills. Her poetry was also very important to readers and critics. Sylvia Plath’s work shows change throughout her lifetime, relates to feelings and emotions, and focuses on dayRead MoreThe Poetry of Sylvia Plath734 Words   |  3 PagesSylvia Plaths poetry roots from her harsh life long battle with heart break, death, and depression. It is clear by her work, that life was a daily struggle for this poet. In the research of her poetry, i found one poem in particular that really interested me. My main focus was the poem Mirror. The narrator of this poem is a wall mirror. At first glance, the mirror appears to be human, based off of its qualities and descriptions. The m irror has the ability to recognize things, such as the smallRead MoreMirror by Sylvia Plath817 Words   |  3 PagesSylvia Plaths poem, Mirror,† represents the disturbed self of the woman, The mirror signifies the unsympathetic male view of a woman and what is socially expected of her: having a flawless beauty and perpetual youth. As the persona ages over the years, the mirror maliciously reflects the alterations in her appearance. Age becomes the persona’s flaw and inadequacy and consequently her foundation of anxiety and alarm. The mirror projects what is thought of the woman as she grows older. It claimsRead MoreThe Rival by Sylvia Plath1372 Words   |  6 Pagesdarkness could kill, but too much light could blind† by Cassandra Clare is significant in understanding the concept revolving around this poem. The speaker seems to have trusted her husband too much that when he cheated on her, it came as a sudden shock. Sylvia Plath’s â€Å"The Rival† was designed to portray the poem’s aim, to explain that one shouldn’t trust too much since it can end up shattering one’s life. Too much of anything will only harm us. The most prominent way in which this aim was seen through is