CWL Much ado about nothing power point

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DECLARATION
I, Geethu Krishnan.P hereby declare that the project entitled

CONFESSIONA IS! IN S" #IA P A$%&S POE$'"S sub(itted to !ahat(a Gandhi )ni*ersity in partial +ul+ill(ent o+ the re,uire(ent +or the -e.ree o+ /achelor o+ Arts in En.lish and iterature is a 0or1 done in the depart(ent o+ En.lish durin. 23345 2362 under the .uidance o+ -r.. Anjana San1ar .S, -epart(ent o+ En.lish, Sree Sana1ara Colle.e, Kalady, and that it has not +or(ed the basis +or the a0ard o+ any other -e.ree or -iplo(a.

Kalady

Geethu Krishnan. P

CERTIFICATE

I,

Geethu

Krishnan.P

hereby

declare

that

the

project

entitled

CONFESSIONA IS! IN S" #IA P A$%&S POE$'"S sub(itted to !ahat(a Gandhi )ni*ersity in partial +ul+ill(ent o+ the re,uire(ent +or the -e.ree o+ /achelor o+ Arts in En.lish an.ua.e and iterature is bona +ide 0or1 done by Geethu

Krishnan. P in the depart(ent o+ En.lish Sree Sana1ara Colle.e, Kalady, under (y super*ision and that it has not been pre*iously sub(itted +or the A0ard o+ any -e.ree or -iplo(a.

Prof. S.K. Usha, !ea" of the "e#art$ent of En%&ish, Sree San ara Co&&e%e, Ka&a").

Dr. Anjana San ar .S, Su#er'isin% Le(turer, Sree San ara Co&&e%e, Ka&a").

ACKNO*LEDGE+ENT
I hereby ac1no0led.e (y sincere .ratitude to (y .uide -r.Anjana San1ar -epart(ent o+ En.lish, +or the constant encoura.e(ent and .uidance pro*ided by her 0hich enabled (e to co(plete the dissertation. I ta1e this opportunity to e7tend (y than1s to the Principal -r. !.K. 'a(achandran +or .i*in. (e a chance to co(plete the /.A. Course. I than1 Pro+. S.K. )sha, %ead o+ the -epart(ent, and all the other sta++ (e(bers +or all the support .i*en. !y sincere than1s are due to the ibrary sta++ +or their ser*ice and to (y +riends +or their +riendly ad*ice and constant encoura.e(ent. et (e than1 (y dear parents, 0ithout 0hose lo*e and encoura.e(ent, this project 0ould not ha*e been possible. Abo*e all, I than1 God Al(i.hty +or his his blessin.s 0hich enabled (e to +inish this dissertation.

C!APTER , INTRODUCTION
Con+essional poetry e(phasi8es the inti(ate, and so(eti(es un+latterin., in+or(ation about details o+ the poet&s personal li+e, such as in poe(s about (ental illness, se7uality, and despondence. $he con+essionalist label 0as applied to a nu(ber o+ poets o+ the 6493&s and 64:3 s. ;ohn /erry(an, Allen Ginsber., 'obert o0ell, Syl*ia Plath, $hedore 'oeth1e and Anne Se7ton ha*e all been called <Con+essional Poets&. In 6494 !. . 'osenthal +irst used the ter( =Con+essional> in a re*ie0 o+ 'obert o0ell&s Life studies entitled <Poetry as con+ession& ? 'osenthal (entions earlier tendencies to0ards the con+essional but notes ho0 there 0as typically a <(as1& 0hich hid the poet&s <actual +ace&. = o0ell re(o*e the (as1. %is spea1er is une,ui*ocally hi(sel+ and it is hard not to thin1 o+ Life studies as a series o+ personal con+idences, rather sha(e+ul, that one is honor bound not to re*eal. Con+essional poetry e7plores personal details about author&s li+e 0ithout (ee1ness, (odesty or discretion. /ecause o+ this, con+essional poetry is a popular +or( o+ creati*e 0aitin. that (any people enjoy not only to read but to e(bar1 upon. Another ele(ent that is speci+ic to this poetry is sel+ 5 re*elation achie*ed throu.h creatin. the poe(. $his passes on to the reader and a connection is (ade. Con+essional +ree *erse poetry see(ed to ha*e beco(e the do(inant approach in late 23th century A(erican poetry. $he reaction to con+essional poetry has spar1ed ne0 (o*e(ents such as that o+ the lan.ua.e poets and Ne0 For(alis(.

@ho is a con+essional poet A $o be.in 0ith, 0e could set hi( Bher in relation to other poets. In +act, 0hat any poets con+essional or non5 con+essional, does is si(ply this C stand in a certain relationship to people, nature and the sacred and present that relationship in a (anner considered <poetic& by the culture the poet shares 0ith the intended readers. $his i(plies that there is no one uni*ersally accepted poetic (anner ? it di++ers +ro( culture to culture. I+ the poetic (anner could be broadly cate.ori8ed a sy((etric types and asy((etric types, 0estern or An.lo5 A(erican. Poetry has pro.ressi*ely +a*oured the asy((etric poetic (ode. Sy((etry or asy((etry should be e*ident in the types o+ rhy(es *erse line, sta8aic +or( and so on. In +act, not all con+essional poe(s are in +ree *erse D0hose operati*e principle is asy((etryE +or plath ha*e 0ritten in strict con*entional poe(s. $he con+essional is =antistructural and antiele.ant in (ode>. one is te(pted to say that the asy((etric (ode is con.enial to the con+essional poet not only on the stren.th o+ such a bein. the predo(inant one in con+or(ity 0ith the culture it sprin. +ro( but also the .ourds that it is apt to e7press a +ractured psyche. Apart +ro( the poetic (anner the con+essional ele(ents asserts it sel+ in the 1ind o+ relationship a reticulated in poe( unli1e the sacred F oriented poe(s or the people oriented ones li1e lo*e poe(s or 0ar poetry or court poetry or social satires or historical ballads and so on or nature oriented poe(s that usually .o by the na(e o+ pastorals and .eor.ics a typical con+essional poe( is sel+ oriented. In this its co(panion is ro(antic poetry. %o0e*er a con+essional poe( is distin.uishable +ro( ro(antic counterpart. $hrou.h the spea1er personal in both *arieties e7presses his her relationship to the 0orld o+ people or nature throu.h the (ediu( o+ the sel+ the 1ind

o+ relationship e7pressed is not G. $he sa(e in the both cases. In the ro(antic uni*erse the 1inship 0ith people and nature is basically healthy ho0e*er strained 0here as in the con+essional uni*erse it is al0ays sic1 and riddled 0ith .uilt 0hich (a1es the e7pression con+essional. Goin. by this e7ploration it should be possible to li(it the con+essional (ode to poetry e7pressin. such a relationship as described abo*e rather than to any sel+5re*el arty *erse. All the .reat con+essional poets o+ the 6493&s and 64:3&s ha*e at one ti(e or the other su++ered (ental brea1 do0ns Syl*ia Plath D64H25 :HE 0as 1no0n +airly 0ell in literally circles as a 0o(an o+ .reat talent and althou.h t0o o+ her 0or1s, The colossus and the Bell jar 0ere published durin. her li+eti(e, she recei*ed only a lu1e0ar( reception +ro( critics. @hat really trans+or(ed her into literary celebrity 0as the e*ent o+ her death at her o0n hands in February 64:H. $he publication o+ so(e o+ her poe(s a +e0 days a+ter her death (ade readers and critics sit up 0ith shoc1. $he poe(s 0ere astonishin.ly undocile and dealt 0ith death and despair. $hey celebrated the cult o+ (urder and suicide. $here 0as in the(, a sense o+ thrill and e7ultation at bloodshed 0hat beca(e e*ident at once 0as the brutal po0er and destructi*e +orce they carried. $he neatly5cra+ted poe(s o+ The colossus paled into insi.ni+icance be+ore the *iolent intensity o+ the poe(s that continued to be published posthu(ously. $his 0as the be.innin. o+ Plath&s rehabilitation as a poet and the e(er.ence o+ =a pheno(enon o+ serious conte(porary literature>. )n+ortunately, at the so(e ti(e, a (yth be.an to .ro0 around the li+e and poetry o+ Plath, both bein. considerably 0arped by the ro(antic notions o+ re*ie0ers and critics. $he (yth F (a1in. process reached its cli(a7 0ith the publication o+ Ariel her projected second *olu(e o+ poetry, sli.htly altered by $ed %u.hes, her

husband. -urin. the +e0 (onths a+ter the publication o+ Ariel, di*er.ent critical *ie0s 0ere 0ell e7pressed. %er poetry 0as dee(ed to be =Suicidal> =con+essional> =e7tre(ist>, =(ystical> and so +orth. !uch o+ the criticis( o+ the period 0as repetiti*e, and (ost re*ie0ers .uilty o+ usin. cliches. $he result 0as that Plath beco(e a cult +i.ure 0ith Ariel assu(in. a pi*otal and all her 0ritin. seen in relation to it. Opinions about The colossus 0ere re*ised in the li.ht o+ this ne0 *olu(e. In 64I6, 0hen Crossing the water and Winter Trees 0ere published, they too ca(e to be interpreted 0ith re+erence to Plath&s achie*e(ent in Airel, Plath ca(e to be loo1ed upon not so (uch as a =person> or =Poetess> but as a =classical heroine> +or darin. to 0rite the 1ind o+ poetry that appeared in Ariel. -olin. out her poetry in such s(all doses did little justice to the poet as a co(prehensi*e *ie0 o+ her 0or1 could not be obtained. One had to 0ait +or another decade be+ore %u.hes brou.ht out the collected poems and The journals o+ Plath. $he +or(er .i*es us all the poe(s Plath 0rote a+ter 649: and a selection o+ +i+ty pre5 649: poe(s, the latter is a hea*in. edited account o+ the her stru..les 0ith li+e and literary creati*ity. !ost o+ the boo1 5 len.th studies on Plath that appeared durin. the se*enties and early part o+ the ei.hties are deli(itin., speci+ic approaches to her poetry, +ittin. it into ri.id sche(es. A .ood (any poe(s that don&t +it into the sche(e are .lossed o*er. !oreo*er, +or the (ost part, their pal(ary (aterial is dra0n +ro( The colossus, Ariel, Crossing the water and winter Trees, but they ha*e not had access to her early poetry and The Journals. It is no0 possible to trace the .ro0th o+ Plath both as a person and as a poet. %er poetry is an act o+ sel+ Fre*elation but it is done obli,uely. In +act, only 0hen one studies her 0or1 in conjunction 0ith the letters she 0rote to

her (other and the entries she (ade her ;ournals does one .et a co(plete picture o+ the person and the poet. In the case o+ Plath her 0or1 is ine7tricably associated 0ith her li+e. Syl*ia Plath considered 0ritin. a 0ay o+ li+e, an e7pression o+ bein. ali*e? 0ritin. 0as at once an e7pression o+ her personality and a preser*ation o+ sanity. Creati*ity is thus directly related to her inner li+e and is loo1ed upon as a +actor nourishin. her e(otional and intellectual 0ell5 bein.. %er li+e and 0or1 are sy(biotic and her stories and poe(s (ar1 the *arious si.nposts 0hich punctuated her li+e. $his (utual dependence bet0een li+e and art lasted all throu.h her career. A close study o+ her 0or1s clearly indicates that the pressures o+ 0ritin. in+luenced her li+e style considerably. %er poetry is an atte(pt to synthesi8e li+e and art. Poetry, the destructi*e +orces o+ li+e are countered by the creati*e +orces o+ art. It helped her retain a hold o*er hersel+, especially durin. periods o+ depression and e(otional and spiritual tur(oil. %er +rustrations and an7ieties into poetry 0as a recurrin. +eature o+ her li+e and ca(e to +ruition in her Ariel poe(s. $he +act that poetry held bac1 the suicidal co(pulsions that tor(ented her a+ter her separation +or( $ed %u.hes is e*ident +ro( her co((ents. $he con+lict bet0een the practical concerns o+ li*in. and art continued all her li+e. !any o+ Plath&s his poe(s, 0hen read in conjunction 0ith her bio.raphical in+or(ation, betray the e(otional concerns e7perienced by her at the ti(e o+ their co(position. $he auto bio.raphical ele(ent al0ays intruded and Syl*ia 0as disconcertin.ly a0are o+ it. $his incapacity to (o*e out o+ the sel+ is +urther stressed 0hen she tal1s about her stories. She +ound it di++icult to 0rite about the =real 0orld its ani(als, people and landscapes> 0ithout at the sa(e ti(e relatin. these to her

inner i(pulses. E*erythin. outside hersel+ 0as lin1ed to her *isions and perceptions. Syl*ia Plath is the the(e o+ her poetry and +iction. /ut it is not strai.ht autobio.raphy her 0or1 is an orderin. and re5orderin. o+ the chaos o+ e7perience. She 0as at once true to her e7perience and true to her art. %er desire =to per+ect techni,ues o+ e7pression be.an 0ith *erbal (anipulation o+ e7ternal e*ents and objects. $hus (astery o+ 0ords and their use 0as the +irst step to0ards cra+t .ainin. control o*er e7perience. She spent her ti(e circlin. 0ords in the thesaurus. @ords 0ere sou.ht a+ter not only +or their subtle shades o+ (eanin. but also +or their e++ects. She re(ar1ed once that she chose +or a reason, each selected a+ter (uch care+ul thou.ht. -eath especially death by 0ater, is a recurrent idea in the poetry o+ Plath and it is +irst hinted at in the early poe(s. Syl*ia Plath, one is te(pted to belie*e, had an insi.ht into her o0n psyche and 0as ,uite a0are o+ the dan.ers lur1in. there and that is the reason 0hy so (any o+ her poe( deal 0ith death. Introspection, her +a*ourite (ethod o+ co(position, in*ariable led to the perception o+ disasters 0ithin. In =Ad(onitions> +or instance, she 0arns =ne*er try to 1no0 (ore than you should.B For deadly secrets stri1e 0hen understood>. $his sense o+ +ear, despair and death, li.htly touched upon in the apprenticeship period poe(s, .ained in intensity and e(phasis as she (atured into +ull5 +led.ed poet. For a (ore (eanin.+ul and +uller understandin. o+ the poetry o+ Plath one (ust (a1e a chronolo.ical study o+ it, +ocusin. attention on her stru..les 0ith li+e and cra+t. A .ood (any the(es are co((on, but at e*ery sta.e her cra+t re.isters an i(pro*e(ent and conse,uently the inner e7perience +inds as richer and (ore *aried e7pression. $he pro.ress o+ Plath as a poet can be seen in +our sta.es (ar1ed by a de+inite de*elop(ent in her authentic *oice =Each sta.e (a1es her acutely conscious o+ the

.ains (ade and the shortco(in. that need to be o*erco(e. $he pro.ress o+ Plath as a poet can also be seen in ter(s o+ bonda.e and +reedo(. In the act o+ retunin. a.ain and a.ain to certain the(es to 0hich she see(s to be held in thrall and in the act o+ .ainin. (astery o*er her cra+t, she e7periences liberation. $he sa*a.e +reedo( o+ e7pression 0hich (ar1s her later 0or1 is the result o+ the close and +astidious concern she la*ished on ha. early cra+ts(anship. $he tra.ic *ision o+ li+e is only tentati*ely present in the early poe(s because o+ her uncertain control o*er poetic +or(, or too (uch concern 0ith it. All her li+e Plath tried to resol*e the con+lict 0ean the 0orthless truth.

C!APTER . CONTENT
One o+ the +e0 poe(s Plath sa*ed +ro( this period is =Tulips” 0ritten in !arch, 64:6, about so(e +lo0ers she had recei*ed 0hen she 0as in the hospital reco*erin. +ro( her appendecto(y. Actually the +lo0er are only the occasion +or a re(ar1able psycholo.ical journey into and out o+ anesthesia the =nu(bness> the nurse brin. her in =bri.ht needles>. $he poe( traces the sta.es by 0hich the hospital patient sic1&s reluctantly into as anaestheti8ed =peace+ulness>, and e,ually reluctantly co(es out o+ it, throu.h repeatin. and re*ersin. the i(a.ery o+ the +irst +our stan8as in the i(a.ery o+ the last +our so that the poe( (o*es in to and out +ro( a central stan8a 0ith unusual sy((etry. $he =too e7citable> tulips and their e7plosions in the +irst stan8a are 0hat the patient a0a1es to +inally in the last stan8a 0here she clai(s that the tulips =should be behind bars li1e dan.erous ani(als>. In the +irst, she has .i*en her na(e and day5 clothes a0ay? In the last she reclai(s hersel+. =I a( a0are o+ (y heart> In the second stan8a, as she rele,uishes hersel+ to the nurses that =pass and pass> she is propped up = i1e an eye bet0een t0o 0hite lids>? co(in. bac1 to li+e in the penulti(ate stan8a, she (o*es throu.h the sa(e sta.e 0here the tulips interrupt the air =co(in. and .oin.> and =concentrate> her attention. $he nurses tendin. in the third stan8a is (atched by the tulips 0atchin. in the se*enth. $he sensation that her possessions =sin1 out o+ si.ht and the 0ater 0ent o*er (y head> just be+ore she succu(bs to the anesthesia in the +ourth stan8a is re*ersed in the si7th 0hen a0a1in. she +eels that the

tulips =see( to +loat, throu.h they 0ei.h (e do0ni>, =A do8enred lead sin1ers round (y nec1>. I+ the supersensiti*e (ind case turn tulips in to e7plosions, It can also re*erse the process and turn dan.erous ani(als in to bloo(in. hearts. $he control o+ =tulips>, the (atchin. o+ stan8as, the correspondences de*eloped bet0een the e7ternal object and states o+ consciousness. !ar1s a ne0 sta.e in Plath&s de*elop(ent. %er earlier e++orts to train her *ision out0ard, to0ard the landscape, and to concentrate on realistic details, as 0ell as her *ery early apprenticeship in set +or(s co(bine 0ith the yaddo e7ercises in spontaneous associati*e creation to prepare her +inal poe(s, o+ 0hich =$ulips> 0as the +irst e7a(ple. In tulips> she de*elops a ne0 persona. $hou.h she is neither the public persona o+ Plath&s (oor 0al1er or seaside *isitor nor the intensely pri*ate and +ra.(ented identity o+ ne*er surrealistic (editation, this spea1er shares ,ualities o+ both. She is clearly in a hospital, respondin. to nurses, needles, +lo0ers? but she is just as clearly en.a.ed in an internal dra(a, reactin. to a 0ild i(a.inati*e acti*ity. $he tension bet0een outer and inner i(a.e is (aintained by a tre(endous artistic and psycholo.ical control. In this poe( Plath re*eals 0hat she (eant 0hen she said that the (anipulati*e (ind (ust control its (ost terri+yin. e7periences. $he spea1er here, responsi*e to inner and outer co(pulsions. Is able to hand her situation. As the inner tensions intensi+ied in the last (onths o+ her o0n li1e, Plath 0as +orced to create a persona (uch (ore ri.id than the spea1er o+ “Tulips”. At this point ho0e*er, ri.idity is 0hat she siorns As Plath turned into her later period in a poe( =Tulips” the spea1er o+ her poe( see(s to 0elco(e the loss o+ control that had harried the inso(nias. As she

.oes into the hospital in this poe(, she clai(s to be learnin. peace+ulness and she heard hersel+ i+ o*er to the hospital attendants to be propped up and tended to. $he nurses brin. her nu(bness in =bri.ht needles>, and as she succu(bs to the anesthesia, she clai(s that she only 0anted to be utterly e(pty. %o0e*er, she does not rest in that attitude *ery lon. be+ore she co(es out o+ the operatin. roo( and its anestheti8ed state and be.ins reluctantly to con+ront her pain. %er +irst response is to co(plain that tulips hurt her, 0atch her, that they eat up her o7y.en. /ut 0hen the spea1er clai(s a correspondence bet0een the tulips redness and her o0n 0ound, her (anipulati*e (inds be.ins to +unction a.ain, +irst in ne.ati*e 0ays tor(entin. itsel+ by objecti+yin. its pain. $hen, in a brie+ but alar(in. re*ersal the spea1er associates the tulips not only 0ith the pain but 0ith the heart so that the outside threat and po0er are not only o*erco(e but subsu(ed. /ecause the spea1er her has so e7a..erated her o0n e(ptiness and the tulips *iolence and *itality, she (ust then accept in hersel+ the attributes she has cast onto the tulips 0hich no0 return to her. $he heart bloo(s. %ere, +or once, the (anipulati*e (ind 0or1s it o0n cure. I+ the super sensiti*e (ind case turn tulips in to e7plosions, it can also re*erse the process and turn dan.erous ani(al into bloo(in. hearts. @hat it cannot do, despite the spea1er&s clai( is accept utter e(ptiness. It cannot re+use to be e7cited by the +lo0ers that it does not 0ant. =$ulips> is an unusual poe( in plant&s 0or1 not because it de(onstrates ho0 the (ind (ay .enerate hyperboles to torture itsel+ D0hich is a co((on strate.y o+ Plath&s poe(sE but because it sho0s ho0 this .enerati*e +aculty (ay ha*e a positi*e as 0ell as ne.ati*e +unction =$ulips> is not a cheer+ul poe(, but it does (o*e +ro( cold to 0ar(th, +ro( nu(bness to lo*e +or( e(pty 0hiteness to *i*id redness, a process (anipulated by the associati*e i(a.ination. $he spea1er hersel+ see(s surprised by her o0n .i+ts and ends the poe( on a tentati*e note, (o*in. to0ard the

+ara0ay country o+ health. -espite this possibly hope+ul endin. ho0e*er the boded o+ the poe( de(onstrates the 0ay in 0hich the (ind (ay intensi+y its pain by objecti+yin. it. @hat ta1es place in =Tulips” in a pri*ate (editation Dand perhaps the pri*acy account +or the (inds pliancyE is .i*en (uch (ore +erocious treat(ent in the public per+or(ances o+ Path&s late poe(s. It is in +act the sense o+ bein. on public display that calls +orth the ra.e o+ the spea1ers in these late poe(s. Forced to per+or(, they de*elop elaborate rituals. $heir (anipulati*e po0ers beco(e a curse not a cure. In “The tour” the spea1er, cau.ht =in slippers and housedress 0ith no lipstic1>, .reets 0ith (oc1 hospitality her (aiden aunt 0ho 0ants =to be sho0n about>C =-o step in to the hall>, =yes, yes, this is (y address. Not a patch on your place. I .uess>. Instead o+ re+usin. to beco(e a *icti( o+ the aunt&s (eddleso(e curiosity, the spea1er readily assents to it. A+ter apolo.i8in. +or the (ess, she leads her aunt ri.ht in to it, sho0in. her the +rost 5 bo7 that bites, the +urnace that e7ploded, the sin1 that ate =se*en (aids and a plu(ber> 0ith (oc1 concern, she 0arns the aunt, =O I shouldn&t put (y +in.er in that>, =O I shouldn&t dip (y han1ie in, it hurts>. =I a( bitterA I&( a*erseA She as1s droppin. +or a second her polite (as1 but resu(in. it i((ediately in her re+rain, =$oddle on ho(e to tea no0>. $he spea1er (anipulates the aunt&s curiosity, turnin. it bac1 on itsel+ by (aintainin. a tone o+ insistent courtesy and +orced inti(acy that desi.ned to jeerin.ly protect the aunt +ro( bra8en e7hibition o+ the open house o+ horrors. She appears to contrast her o0n dreary do(estic appliances to her aunt&s e7otic possessions? but actually her (achines are =0ild>, she says and in a di++erent 0ay unli1e her aunts ta(ed decorations. %o0e*er, 0hen she calls hersel+ =creepy 5 Creepy> she see(s to ha*e assu(ed her aunts .ec1o5 li1e ,ualities. $he sta.iness o+ this spea1er, her insistent rhy(in., e7cla(atory sentences, italici8ed 0ords, all

pro*ide not only a .rotes,ue re+lection o+ the aunt&s alar( but also su..est a 1ind o+ hysterical control. $he spea1er&s ability to (anipulate the aunt&s alar(, but also su..est a 1ind o+ hysterical control. $he spea1er&s ability to (anipulate the aunt is (atched by a (ore sinister ability to (anipulate her o0n horrors, to locate the( in +urnace and sto*e, and there to .i*e the( a separate identity. $he poet 0ho +elt that the intelli.ent (ind (ust (anipulate its (ost terri+yin. e7periences also 1ne0 that the deran.ed (ind could operate in such a0ay as to hold o++ its terror, separate itsel+ +ro( the a.ony it su++ered, and the spea1er here e7e(pli+ies that process. @hen at the end she 0arns the aunt not to trip o*er the nurse5 (id 0i+e 0ho =can brin. the dead to li+e>, she points to the source o+ her (isery, the creati*e principle that has itsel+ assu(ed and objecti*e identity and beca(e part o+ the (ess. $he (id 0i+e, li1e a poet, deli*ers li+e 0ith =0i..ly +in.ers>, and she has +act been *ery achie*e in endo0in. dead, household appliances 0ith a li*ely i+ destructi*e ener.y? but no0 she too has been cast out. In this spea1er 0ho can not only caricature her aunt 0ith the =specs> ad +lat hat> but also her o0n creepiness as 0ell as her =a0+ully nice> creati*e +aculties, Plath presents a da(nin. portrait o+ the too in*enti*e (ind that e7ults in sel+ 5 laceration It is not ,uite accurate to say that this spea1er is una0are o+ her o0n strate.ies because she supre(ely sel+ F conscious? but she is trapped by the(. @here others ha*e been de*oured or repelled, she li*es on, neither despairin. nor shoc1ed but char.ed 0ith a hysterical ener.y that she deploys +inally a.ainst hersel+. %er nurse 5(id5 0i+e is eyeless. She too can only see hersel+ no0 as others see her. %er ability to (anipulate her o0n su++erin. is a sub*ersion o+ the poet&s creati*e po0ers? it beco(es a (eans o+ holdin. o++ rather than e7plorin. her situation

A ,uite di++erent (anipulator is the spea1er in =$he Applicant> 0ho appears to be a co(ic +i.ure re*elin. in her (achinations. )nli1e the 0o(an in =$he $our> she see(s to spea1 +or others not +or hersel+. She starts out 0ith the characteristic ,uestion o+ the con*ention 5 lo*in. 0o(an, =First, are you our sort o+ personA> 0hat interest her, she re*eals is not 0hat 0e (i.ht e7pect +ro( so(eone 0ho 0ould as1 that ,uestion, the social ,ualities o+ her (arria.e applicant, but rather her physical parts. =Our sort o+ person> has no .lass eyes, +alse teeth, rubber breasts, stitches to sho0 so(ethin.&s (issin.. Once ha*in. assured hersel+ on that score, she presents her applicant&s hand in (arria.e, pro(isin. not only the traditional series that it 0ill =brin. teacups and roll a0ay headaches> but that at the end it 0ill e*en =dissol*e o+ sorro0> $hen, as i+ this =.uaranteed> e(otion (i.ht be too (uch +or the (an, she con+ides, =0e (a1e ne0 stoc1 +ro( the salt>. =Such econo(y, such e++iciency, this (arria.e bro1er see(s to cluc1. $he 0o(an =0illin.> =to do 0hate*er you tell it> can be easily recycled. Ne7t the spea1er turns to the (an 0ho li1e the 0o(an is =star1 na1ed>. Instead o+ puttin. hi( throu.h the sa(e e7a(ination o+ parts she ,uic1ly o++ers hi( a 0eddin. suit, =/lac1 and sta++>? that he can reuse as a +uneral shroud. She adopts the +a(iliar tone o+ tailor that shades into that o+ the (ortician. Suddenly the suit, the .irl, the deadly con*entional o+ (arria.e are all one, li1e a to(b, e,ually =0ater proo+, shatter proo+, proo+B A.ainst +ire and bo(bs throu.h the roo+ =$he sub*ersi*e e7cess o+ her pro(ises here is hastily passed o*er as her sales pitch continues C =No0 your head, e7cuse (e, is e(pty. I ha*e the tic1et +or that. Co(e here, s0eetie out o+ the closet =0hat she presents is =A li*in. doll> 0hose *alue 0ill increase 0ith each anni*ersary, paper at +irst but sil*er in 29 years and .old at 93 years.

It (i.ht be ar.ued that =The Applicant” does not properly belon. to those poe(s in 0hich Plath e7poses the (inds (anipulation o+ terri+yin. e7periences. A+ter all (arria.e and especially the (arria.e contracted here is a con*entional arran.e(ent 0hich should not a++ect the +ears or passions or e(otions o+ either the (an or the 0o(an. In addition, the spea1er here appears, sa+ely re(o*ed +ro( the situation she directs. $hese +acts, ho0e*er, do not e7plain the tone o+ the poe( 0hich co(es throu.h in the instant re+rain =@ill you (arry itA> $his spea1er 0ho has =the tic1et> +or e*ery thin. see(s despite her all F 1no0in. and consolin. co(ic pose, *ery an7ious to ha*e ,uestions ans0ered. A.ain, as in the other poe(s 0e ha*e discussed the nature o+ the spea1er in “The Applicant” deser*es (ore attention than it has recei*ed 0hat she says is ob*ious enou.h, but 0hy does she say itA I ha*e called her a 0o(en althou.h her se7 is no0here identi+ied partly because o+ her lan.ua.e and partly because o+ her clai( that her applicant can se0, coo1 and =tal1, tal1, tal1> Dno (an I belie*e 0ould ha*e considered that last +eature a sellin. pointE but chie+ly because she see(s to be e7tre(ely concerned +or the success+ul outco(e o+ her applicant. She is li1e the applicant hersel+ 0illin. to (a1e any clai( and to accede to any de(ands in order to stri1e a bar.ain. %ers is a pose o+ course, but it is the pose o+ the co(pliant 0o(an. i1e the patient in “Tulips” 0ho accepts the .i+t o+ +lo0ers that tor(ent her and the niece in “The Tour” 0ho responds to her aunt&s detested *isit, the spea1er here insists on participatin. in a situation the de(ands o+ 0hich she +inds abhorrent. %er only recourse +or dealin. 0ith it is a (ode at 0hich she is particularly s1illed, burles,ue. "et behind the scorn and the sco++in. is another +eelin., so(ethin. li1e hysteria that e7presses itsel+ in her repeated ,uestion. She see(s trapped by the se7ual stereo types she parodies. $he *entrilo,uis( o+ this poe( hides the +act that this is an internal debate. $he se7ual +ear that has dri*en the

=s0eetie> in to the closet and the boy to his last resort also propels the (anipulation o+ this shre0d i+ too a.reeable 0o(an. %ere a.ain is the controllin. (ind usin. its po0ers to co(part(entali8e rather than e7plore its situation $he relationship bet0een poet and spea1er in t0o other late poe(s, “Lad La!arus” and “"add ” is so(e0hat (ore co(plicated because these poe(s do call upon speci+ic incidents in Plath&s bio.raphy, her suicide atte(pts and her +ather&s death. "et too associate the poet 0ith the spea1er directly, as (any critics ha*e done does not account +or the +act that plant e(ploys here as be+ore the techni,ues o+ caricature, hyper bole, and parody that ser*e both to distance the spea1er +or( the poet and at the sa(e ti(e to project onto the spea1er a sub*ersi*e *ariety o+ the poet&s o0n strate.ies. In “Lad La!arus” the nature o+ the spea1er is peculiar and de+ies our ordinary notions o+ so(eone prone to atte(pt suicide. Suicide is not a joyous act, and yet there is so(ethin. o+ triu(ph in the spea1er&s assertion that she has done it a.ain. $he person reco*erin. +ro( a suicide atte(pt, as this spea1er says she is cannot possibly be so con+ident at the *ery (o(ent o+ her reco*ery that her sour breath 0ill *anish in a day and that she 0ill soon be a s(ilin. 0o(an. Nor could she ha*e the presence o+ (ind to characteri8e those 0ho surround her as a =peanut F crunchin. cro0d> and her rescuers as ene(ies. And +inally it see(s psycholo.ically i(possible +or the suicide *icti( to ha*e the ener.y to rise at all. A.ainst other people, (uch less to threaten to =eat (en li1e air>. $he person 0ho spea1s here does so not to e7plore her situation but to control it. She is +irst o+ all a per+or(er and althou.h she adopts (any di++erent roles, she is chie+ly re(ar1able +or her control not only o+ hersel+ but o+ the e++ects she 0ishes to 0or1 on those 0ho surround her. She spea1s o+ hersel+ in hyperboles callin. hersel+ a =0al1in. (iracle> boastin. that she has =nine ti(es to die> e7clai(in. that dyin. is an art she does

=e7ceptional 0ell> assertin. that =the theatrical B co(ebac1 in broad day> 1noc1s her out. %er treat(ent o+ suicide in such buoyant ter(s a(ounts to a parody o+ her o0n act. @hen she co(pares her suicide to the *icti(i8ation o+ the ;e0s and later on 0hen she clai(s there is a char.e +or a piece o+ her hair or clothes and thus co(pares her rescued sel+ to the cruci+ied Christ or (artyred saint, she is en.a.in. in sel+ F parody. She e(ploys these techni,ues partly to de+y the cro0d 0ith its =bruteBa(used shoutC B =A (iracle J> and partly to taunt her rescuers. =%err -o1tor> %err Ene(y>0ho re.ard her as their =opus>. She is neither a (iracle nor an opus, and she +ends o++ those 0ho 0ould re.ard her in this 0ay. /ut the techni,ues ha*e another +unction as 0ell? they display the e7tent to 0hich she can objecti+y hersel+, rituali8e her +ears, (anipulate her o0n terror. %er e7tre(e control in +act is inti(ately ent0ined 0ith her suicidal tendencies. $he suicide is her o0n *icti(, Can control her o0n +ate. I+ she is not to succu(b to this desire she (ust en.a.e in the elaborate ritual 0hich .oes on all the ti(e in the (ind o+ the 0ould be suicide by 0hich she allays her persistent 0ish to destroy hersel+. %er act is the only (eans o+ dealin. 0ith a situation she cannot +ace. %er control is not sane but hysterical. @hen the spea1er assures the cro0d that she is =the sa(e identical 0o(an> a+ter her rescue she is in +act tellin. the( her in(ost +ear that she could and probably 0ill do it a.ain. @hat the cro0d ta1es +or a return to health, the spea1er sees as a return to the perilous conditions that ha*e dri*en her three ti(es to suicide. /y (a1in. a spectacle out o+ hersel+ and by locatin. the *icti(i8er outside hersel+ in the doctor and the cro0d, she is castin. out her terrors so that she case controls the(. @hen she says at the end that she 0ill rise and cat (en li1e air she is projectin. her destruction out0ard. $hat last stan8a o+ de+iance is in +act as e++ort o+ the (id to triu(ph o*er terror, to rise and not to succu(b to its o0n *icti(i8ation.

$he spea1ers tone is hysterical, triu(phant, and de+iant. Only once does she drop this tone to ad(it the despair that underlies it 0hen she says =@hat a trash B to annihilate each decade>. Other0ise she (aintains her ri.id sel+ F control in accents that ran.e +ro( +ren8ied .aiety to spite+ul threats. Althou.h her situation is (uch (ore e7tre(e than those social occasions o+ “Tulips” “The Tour”, The Applicant” it is li1e the( not o+ her o0n (a1in.. She has been rescued 0hen she 0anted to die. %er response F is per*erse she does not 0elco(e her rescuers. Nor does she e7a(ine the condition that +orced her death 0ish? instead she accepts her +ate and presents hersel+ as in co(plete control. $he e++ort o+ her act 0hich co(es throu.h in her tone is intense yet necessary because 0ithout it she 0ould ha*e to +ace the +act that she is not in control. %er per+or(ance is a de+ense a.ainst utter desolation. %ere a.ain is the (ind (anipulatin. its o0n terrors. Plath 0as no stran.er to this (ethod, as 0e ha*e said be+ore but 0hile she 0or1s here 0ith a parallel bet0een hysterical control and creati*e control she presents the +irst as a (ad re+lection o+ the second. “Lad La!arus” dra0s o+ Plath&s o0n suicide atte(pt, the poe( tells us little (ore than a ne0s paper account o+ the actual e*ent. It is not a personal con+ession. @hat it does re*eal is Plath&s understandin. o+ the 0ay the suicidal person thin1s. “"add ” is an e*en (ore co(plicated treat(ent o+ the sa(e process. $he poe( opens 0ith the dau.hter&s assertion that =you do not do, you do not do>. /ut i+ "add 0ill not do neither 0ill he not do and 0e +ind this spea1er in the characteristic Plath trap, +orcin. hersel+ to deal 0ith a situation she +inds unacceptable. “"add ” is not so (uch as account o+ a true F li+e situation as a de(onstration o+ the (ind con+rontin. its o0n su++erin. and tryin. to control that by 0hich it +eels controlled. $he si(plistic insistent rhyth( is one +ro( o+ control that by 0hich it +eels controlled. $he si(plistic, insistent rhyth( is one +ro( o+ control, that obsessi*e

rhy(in. and repeated short phrases are others, (eans by 0hich she atte(pts to char( and hold o++ the e*il spirits. /ut the spea1er is e*en (ore cra+ty than this technical e7pertise de(onstrates she is s1illed at i(a.e 5 (a1in. li1e a poet and she can (anipulate her i(a.es 0ith e7tre(es +acility. $he I(a.e the(sel*es are i(portant +or 0hat they tell us o+ her sense o+ bein. *icti(i8ed and *icti(i8er but (ore si.ni+icant, $han the actual i(a.e is the s0i+t ease 0ith she case turn it to *icious uses. For e7a(ple, She starts out i(a.inin. hersel+ as a prisoner li*in. li1e a +oot in the blac1 shoe o+ her +ather then she casts her +ather in her o0n role and he beco(es =one .rey toeB /i. as a +irsco seal> and then ,uic1ly she loo1in. +or his +oot, his root. Ne7t he re*erts to his ori.inal boot identity, and she is the one 0ith =$he boot in the +ace>. And i((ediately he retunes 0ith =A cle+t in your chin instead o+ your +oot>. At the end, she sees the *illa.ers sta(pin. on hi(. $hus she (o*es +ro( booted to booter as her +ather re*erse the direction. $he (ind that 0or1s in this 0ay is ni.hters lo.ical nor psychotically penetratin.? it is si(ply e7tre(ely adept at ju..lin. i(a.es. In +act, the spea1er is cau.ht in her o0n strate.ies. She can control her terrors by +orcin. the( in to i(a.es, but she see(s to ha*e no understandin. o+ the con+usion her 0ild i(a.e F (a1in. betrays. @hen she identi+ies hersel+ as a +oot, she su..ests that she is trapped, but 0hen she calls her +ather a +oot the associations brea1 do0n. In the sa(e 0ay. @hen she caricatures her +ather as a Fascist and hersel+ as a ;e0, she de*elops associations o+ torture 0hich are not e7actly re*ersed 0hen she re*erses the identi+ication and calls hersel+ the 1iller o+ her *a(pire +ather. $he spea1er here can cate.ori8e and (anipulate her +eelin.s in na(e F callin. in rituals in i(a.es but these are only techni,ues and her +ren8ied use o + the( su..ests that they are (ethods. She e(ploys in the absence o+ any other. $he pace o+ the poe( re*eals its spea1er as one dri*en by a hysterical

need +or co(plete control. A need that ste(s +ro( the +ear that 0ithout such control she 0ill be destroyed. %er si(ple incantatory (onolo.ue is the per+ect *ehicle o+ e7pression +or there orderly disordered (ind. $he poe( “"add ” does not see( to +all easily in to that cate.ory despite its nonsense rhy(es and rhyth(s it&s ,uic1ly +lic1in. i(a.es. It is neither decorous nor play+ul. On the other hands, .i*es its. Subject neither is it ponderous or sole(n. Abo*e all It o++ers no insi.ht in to the spea1er, no (iti.atin. e*idence, no justi+ication. Plath&s classi+ication is clear perhaps only i+ 0e consider her spea1er a periodic *ersion o+ the poet. $he spea1er (anipulates her terror in sin.son. lan.ua.e and thus deli*ers hersel+ in =li.ht *erse> that e(ploys its cra+t in holdin. o++ its subject +or all the +ran1ness o+ this poe( the na(e F callin. and bla(in. the dar1 +eelin. that per*ades it is unde+ined, held bac1 rather than re*ealed by the techni,ue. $he poet 0ho has created this spea1er 1no0s the spea1ers strate.ies because they are per*erted *ersion o+ her o0n and is the distinction bet0een the spea1er&s =li.ht *erse> and the poet&s serious poe(. Fro( her earliest (ad0o(en and hysterical *ir.ins to the late suicides and +ather 1illers Plath portrays characters 0hose sta.ey per+or(ances are sub*ersions o+ creation act. Absorbed in their rituals they con+ess nothin.. $hey are not an7ious to (a1e a brea1throu.h bac1 into li+e. In +act, their ener.ies are en.a.ed in erectin. a barricade a.ainst sel+5 re*elation. Plath&s +ascination 0ith this periodic i(a.e o+ the creati*e ste(s +ro( a deep 1no0led.e o+ the (achinations o+ the (ind. I+ she re*eals hersel+ in these poe(s, she does so in the .rotes,ue (irror o+ parody. I+ these poe(s co(e out o+ her o0n e(otional e7periences, as she said they did they are not uni+or(ed cries +ro( the heart. 'ather, she chose to deal 0ith her e7perience by

creatin. characters 0ho could not deal 0ith theirs and throu.h their rituals de(onstrate their +ailure. $hese poe(s li1e the spea1ers in the( are superbly controlled? but the poet behind the poe( uses her i((ense technical control to (anipulate the tone, the rhyth( the rhy(e the pace o+ the spea1er&s lan.ua.e in order to re*eal truths about the spea1ers that their obsessi*e assertions deny. Plath&s 0or1 shouldn&t be ca*alierly dis(issed, because she is one o+ the (ost ori.inal A(erican poets o+ the second hal+ o+ the century. $he +ascination 0ith the .risly bits o+ her bio.raphy has caused e(phasis to +all on the poetry&s (ost heated, personal aspect 5 and indeed its easy to i(a.ine ho0 lines li1e =E*ery 0o(an adores a Fascist> repeated out o+ conte7t, ,uic1ly co(e to see( (ore attitudinal than insi.ht+ul. /ut 0as a(on. the (ost publicly a(bitious disciplined, herd 0or1in. poets o+ the century, And her 0or1 is +or the (ost part anythin. but adolescent and baldy con+essional? rather it&s a (ythic e7ca*ation o+ the unconscious. %er subject is the crucible o+ post reli.ious senti(ent the stru..le o+ a sel+ 0ith the ele(ental +orce around it. Plath too1 pains to in*erts her poe(s 0ith a (ythic se*erity, and in the 0ee1s be+ore she died spo1e on the //C about the need +or the (odern poet to dra0 on (yth 0hile (a1in. =the (etaphor5 (oralG intrinsic to the poe(, 0or1in. bac1 and +orth un itsel+ not e7pressed prosaically at the close li1e the (oral o+ a +able> unsurprisin.ly Syl*ia, cau.ht up in the poet&s .loo(, +ails to consider the +act that Plath 0as a(on. the +irst really .ood A(erican poets ta1e (other hood as her subject. /y the end o+ her li+e one (i.ht ha*e accused her o+ 0ritin. =essentially pro*ocati*e. Anti5 bour.eois&, is na1ed a(bitious poe(s. In both cases it see(s to be so(ethin. about the poe(s na1ed a(bition F their 0illin.ness to +lout boundades and to hold up a ne0 set o+ preoccupations as *alid F that displeases

%er suicidal hysteria, li1e that 0hich +inally too1 Plath hersel+ is the a.uish o+ a bein. 0ho has reali8ed her o0n .ratuitousness, =Factitious, arti+icial, sha(> 0hat she has called her =sel+>, that uni,ue and coddled e.o, is no (ore than a ne7us o+ donated bein. a +ield o+ battle 0here the con+lictin. +orces o+ her en*iron(ent, her +a(ilial and social e7perience, clash, di*ide, and coalesce. Plath 0rote o+ the poe( “"add ” as =spo1en> by a .irl 0ith an Electra co(ple7. %er +ather died 0hile she thou.ht he 0as God. %er case is co(plicated by the +act that her +ather 0as also a Na8i and her (other *ery possibly ;e0ish. In the dau.hter the t0o strains (arry and paraly8e each other she has to act out the a0+ul little alle.ory be+ore she is +ree o+ it. =@hile the details hardly corresponds accurately to Plath&s o0n bio.raphy their sy(bolic +unction in the e(otional ecolo.y o+ her 0or1 is clear. $he i(a.ery o+ Plath&s poe(s under .oes endless trans+or(ations, in 0hich the lin1s ace o+ten suppressed or arbitraryC sudden shi+ts o+ tac1 and e(otion lead o++ in une7pected directions. %er poetic narrati*es +or1 and proli+erate in this 0ay because in un+oldin. the i(plications o+ a se,uence o+ i(a.es, she unco*ers the co(ple7 and contradictory possibilities condensed 0ithin the( the in+antile trau(as lyin. treacherously beneath the sur+ace o+ adult e7perience. $he sa(e i(a.e can be chan.ed 0ith ,uite contradictory e(otional *alencies i+ in poe(s such as “"add ” and “Lad La!arus” she *eers close to disinte.ration she also pro(ises as brea1throu.h in to a resurrection 0hich sheds, the constrictin. hus1s o+ the past. Since her suicide in 64:H at the a.e o+ thirty. Syl*ia Plath especially has attracted the attention o+ 0o(en&s studies enthusiasts, 0hile at the sa(e ti(e she has beco(e reco.ni8ed as a pree(inent A(erican poet. O+ten cate.ori8ed as =con+essional> her poe(s are pri(arily inspired by actual e*ents in her li+e e*ent that

she trans+or(s into probin. psychoanalytical studies. She e7perience disillusion(ent 0ith the co(pro(ised adult 0orld, se7ual curiosity and resultant .uilt and se*eral (ental depression. In the years since her death Syl*ia Plath&s li+e and 0or1 has ta1en on (ythic proportions. She has beco(e one o+ the (ost 0ell F 1no0n poets F o+ the 23th century in past because o+ her tra.ic suicide at a.e H3perhaps as a result, the 0ritin. to 0hich (ost readers and critics re+er are those dealin. 0ith suicide and death. $his +ocus is un+ortunately narro0 because Plath&s 0ritin.s are (uch (ore +ar5 ran.in. in their a(bitions and scope, lar.es interests in 0ould politics and in 0o(en&s issues can be +ound throu.hout Plath&s poetry and prose. -eter(inin. her relationship to +e(inis( has pro*en +ar (ore di++icult ho0e*er. $hrou.h she is not an ano(aly is this re.ard, Plath&s relationship to the second 0a*e o+ the 0o(en&s (o*e(ent has been the subject o+ a .reat deal o+ critical debate. @hen readin. Plath&s 0ritin.. It is i(portant to resist the te(ptation to see her 0or1 in itsel+ a lon. suicide note5 as the central or only +ocus o+ her 0ritin.s. $o reduce her output to con+essions about her o0n li+e 0ould be a (ista1e ho0e*er. E*en those Fa(ous poe(s that see(in.ly describe her personal li+e also consider broades issues o+ .enders relationships and po0er. $hou.h (uch o+ her 0or1 is certainly dar1 a .reat deal o+ it deals 0ith nature child bearin. and child dearin., lo*e, and se7uality. Plath =0as in (any 0ays a *icti( o+ the +i+ties and its ideolo.y o+ the +a(ily. @o(en stru..lin. to lead independent li*es or pursue the ideal o+ bein. 0riters 0ere under pressure to sub(er.e the(sel*es 0ithin (ono.a(ous (arria.e and create households strai.ht out o+ adies %o(e journal. Plath died just the ne0 0a*e o+ +e(inist theory be.an to sur+ace 0ith the rise o+ the 0o(en&s (o*e(ent Plath dealt

0ith these contradictions in her li+e and her 0or1 to be sure. $he e7tent to 0hich she sa0 either as see1in. to i(pro*in. the lot o+ 0o(en in debatable throu.h. !ay ha*e 0anted clai( that Plath 0as =truly> a +e(inist but deter(inin. 0hich o+ the (any sel*es 0e see in her letters, journals, poe(s, and prose is the =true> are is as i(possible tas1. Callin. Plath a +e(inist then present di++iculties. It is unli1ely that she hersel+ 0ould ha*e identi+ied 0ith this land. %er stru..les ho0e*er 0ere clearly understood by her to be .endered and o+ten, as a result unjust. She stru..led to articulate the contradictions that a 0o(an 0ho 0anted to be both de*oted 0i+e and (other and a success+ul creati*e 0riter +aced in the late 6493&s and 64:3&s. $hat her stru..le ha*e pro*ed inspirational +ascinatin. and tra.ic to subse,uent .enerations o+ readers is testi(ony to the endurin. rele*ance o+ her insi.hts and to the stunnin. brilliance o+ her 0or1. $o discuss the sel+ one should recollected and su((on up the challen.in. notion o+ identity and its play o+ doubleness and duality. $he 0hole li+e as artist is su((ari8ed in one ,uest that is the process throu.h 0hich could +ind identity. Al(ost ine*itable all o+ Plath&s poe( intentionally. Allude to inde+initeness o+ .ender to re(o*e all identities +easible +ro( the narrator indi*iduality. $he other Syl*ia Plath that 0as one o+ literary brea1throu.h o+ t0enty century 0ould be conceptuali8ation o+ identity concept re.ardin. Syl*ia Plath&s o0n identity. She 0as not only un+a(iliar 0ith this sort o+ literature +ocusin. on characters and their doubles but also a ,uali+ied speciali8ed enthusiastic about the so5called subject (atter.

C!APTER / 0 CONCLUSION
Syl*ia Plath 0as seen as one o+ the (ost e7ceptional con+essional poets o+ her ti(e. her personal and li+e e7periences pour into her pa.es (a1in. her so popular that she has risen to cult status a(on. her readers. Syl*ia Plath&s tra.ic death le+t (any critics 0onderin. ho0 popular Syl*ia&s 0or1 0ould ha*e been i+ she has not died so early in her career. %er 0or1 is so o*er0hel(in.ly intert0ined 0ith the li+e she so pain+ully li*ed that by readin. her 0or1 one beco(es into 0orld she e7isted in. in so(e circles, she is re.arded as a +e(inist supporter due the poe(s 0here it appears that she is critici8in. the role that 0o(en 0here e7pected to +all into durin. the ti(e she 0as 0ritin.. %o0e*er the truth is that Syl*ia openly accepted her role as a 0i+e and (other and really had not intended that her (aterial be seen as such. $he poe(s that she 0rote shortly a+ter her separation are +illed 0ith the an.er and betrayal that she +elt to0ards ted +or ha*in. le+t her alone to care +or the children on her o0n. In Ariel, the collection she co(pleted shortly be+ore her death, the pain that she +elt o*er the absence o+ %u.hes is ,uite e*ident in =+or a +atherless son> she co(es to reali8e ho0 (uch the children 0ere a++ected by their +ather not bein. 0ith the(. Syl*ia&s 0or1 brin.s to li+e all the e7periences and bac1.round that she attained +ro( her parents herita.e. In se*eral o+ her poe(s, her parents .er(an and Austrian bac1.rounds are re+lected as she uses *arious co((entaries o+ the holocaust as she re+lects on her on suicidal pact and obsession 0ith death. In addition

her poetry also portrays (any o+ her +eelin. to0ards her +ather and his death. Otto Plath&s relationship 0ith his children especially to0ards the end o+ his li+e 0as (erely one o+ super*ision. %e had *ery lo0 tolerance +or youn. children and his (ain connection 0ith the( 0as based on acade(ic per+or(ance. $hus, Syl*ia 0as al0ays tryin. to obtain is appro*al by e7cellin. in school. In so(e incidents, it is apparent that she ca(e to resent his death Das in “"add #” because she 0as not able to achie*e the relationship she so desperately desired to obtain +ro( hi(. She +elt cheated +ro( bein. able to .et to 1no0 this (an, 0ho&s lo*e she is so desperately cra*ed +or. In the Bell jar, she uses her +ictional characters to relate 0ith her o0n e7periences 0ith her +ather&s death and her o0n desire to join hi( in that 0orld. It is ,uite apparent in her 0or1 that she had an obsession 0ith death and her o0n (ortality and at ti(es she clai(ed =that she +elt li1e her +ather 0as tryin. to dra. her do0n into the .ra*e 0ith hi(> D%aya(an 22E yet, despite her o0n battles 0ith the crypt 1eeper, Syl*ia also (ana.ed to 0rite about the joys and sorro0s o+ e*eryday li+e. In her con+essional style she succeeds in capturin. the si(ple pleasures she obtained +ro( startin. her bee 1eepin. hobby to spendin. su((ers by the ocean side. Syl*ia Plath&s poetry has recei*ed considerable attention 0ith respect to a ran.e o+ the(es and critical approaches. #ariously labeled +e(inist, political, suicidal Plath has been subject to enor(ous bio.raphical scrutiny but the critical responses a*ailable today o++er increasin.ly nuanced understandin.s o+ Plath&s 0or1. %o0e*er, su++icient attention has not been .i*en to the si.ni+icant pre*alence o+ places and spaces in Plath&s poetry. @ith particular +ocus on a selection o+ poe(s +ro( the collected poe(s, this thesis ar.ues that the personae in the poe(s con+ront

=in+elicitous place> and that the poe(s resonate 0ith a tension bet0een place Dhere re+errin. to a space that is deli(ited by certain *aluesE and space Din the sense o+ an e7pansion 0ithout the restrictions o+ place. @hat I here re+er to as in+elicitous place can be understood as an in*ersion o+ Gaston /achelard&s conception o+ =+elicitous space> and accounts +or the 0ay in 0hich Plath&s poetry are (arred 0ith an7iety and a(bi*alence as opposed to bachelor&s bene*olent protecti*e spaces. $he places and spaces in the poe(s are dealt 0ith in relation to the notion o+ in+elicitous place, as 0ell as the si.ni+icance o+ 0alls and the a++inity bet0een place and poetics. Fro( the be.innin. Plath in*ested her story 0ith a 1ind o+ (ythic aura F thin1 o+ the 0ay she bit %u.hes on the chee1 0hen they +irst (et. And its undeniable that in 0estern culture the poet suicide has held a stra.e .la(our datin. bac1 to the a.e o+ 'o(anticis(. $he +ascination 0ith Plath&s li1e also had political co(ponent one o+ the 1ey le.acies o+ second F 0a*e +e(inis(, 0hich 0as born al(ost si(ultaneously 0ith Plath&s death, is the idea that personal is political. So naturally her earliest readers concerned the(sel*es 0ith her li+e.

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