An apologia for Plath : understanding Sylvia Plath’s psyche through a psychological and philosophical lens

Abstract

This dissertation examines different approaches to Sylvia Plath’s poetry, journals and novel. Mainly, it focuses on the biographical, psychoanalytical and philosophical approaches, and explores selfhood within Plath’s works. First, it looks at differences between multiple biographies, since the biographical approach is a very criticised one. Psychoanalysis is then applied, since the Oedipus complex features quite heavily both in Plath’s own life and in some of her works, due to the death of her father Otto. Cathy Caruth’s observations on Freud’s trauma theory are discussed in relation to Plath, followed by an analysis of the poem Daddy. Then, Plath’s depression and dissociation as an adult is explored, by examining a linguistic analysis of one of Plath’s earliest journals. The ‘I’ emerges as having great significance, thus selfhood becomes a focus of the second chapter. Selfhood in the novel The Bell Jar is very prominent, which some critics believe is due to Plath following a solipsistic or semisolipsistic philosophy. The dissertation concludes by answering if a biographical approach is indeed aptly villainised, and ultimately shows how Plath’s writings are uncanny works of art, making this dissertation an apologia for, or in defence of, Plath.