Sylvia Plath's search for an identity.

This essay examines Sylvia Plath’s search for an identity with the aid of Existentialism. The works discussed in this essay includes her novel The Bell Jar, the poems “I am Vertical” and “Lady Lazarus”, her children stories “The Bed Book” and “The It-Doesn’t-Matter Suit” as well as selected entries...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Ng, Gina Hsaw Teng.
Other Authors: Angela Anne Frattarola
Format: Final Year Project (FYP)
Language:English
Published: 2010
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10356/36241
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author Ng, Gina Hsaw Teng.
author2 Angela Anne Frattarola
author_facet Angela Anne Frattarola
Ng, Gina Hsaw Teng.
author_sort Ng, Gina Hsaw Teng.
collection NTU
description This essay examines Sylvia Plath’s search for an identity with the aid of Existentialism. The works discussed in this essay includes her novel The Bell Jar, the poems “I am Vertical” and “Lady Lazarus”, her children stories “The Bed Book” and “The It-Doesn’t-Matter Suit” as well as selected entries from her journal and extracts of her letters written to her mother. Plath shows an emphasis on the importance of individuality. Her radical behaviour and thoughts contribute to her being someone who is different from what society deems as normal. Therefore, as her version of individuality does not subscribe to societal's norm, she attempts to show the reader how her version of normal is not as astounding and bizzare as what people think. An example of her radical thinking is how she sees death as something grand and peaceful, as shown in the poem “I am Vertical”. She uses the tranquil image of nature to symbolize her thoughts towards death. The essay is concluded with the idea that despite Plath’s attempts to create her own version of normalcy, she is unsuccessful. She does not show that she is happy in her journal entries. She is filled with misery. Her lack of passion towards life is shown in her entries, where her writings reveal her disinterest in life. Also, the repeated image of a rebirth in all of her works shows her great desire to be reborn as someone else, indicating her dissatisfaction with her present life.
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spelling ntu-10356/362412019-12-10T14:27:45Z Sylvia Plath's search for an identity. Ng, Gina Hsaw Teng. Angela Anne Frattarola School of Humanities and Social Sciences DRNTU::Humanities::Literature::English This essay examines Sylvia Plath’s search for an identity with the aid of Existentialism. The works discussed in this essay includes her novel The Bell Jar, the poems “I am Vertical” and “Lady Lazarus”, her children stories “The Bed Book” and “The It-Doesn’t-Matter Suit” as well as selected entries from her journal and extracts of her letters written to her mother. Plath shows an emphasis on the importance of individuality. Her radical behaviour and thoughts contribute to her being someone who is different from what society deems as normal. Therefore, as her version of individuality does not subscribe to societal's norm, she attempts to show the reader how her version of normal is not as astounding and bizzare as what people think. An example of her radical thinking is how she sees death as something grand and peaceful, as shown in the poem “I am Vertical”. She uses the tranquil image of nature to symbolize her thoughts towards death. The essay is concluded with the idea that despite Plath’s attempts to create her own version of normalcy, she is unsuccessful. She does not show that she is happy in her journal entries. She is filled with misery. Her lack of passion towards life is shown in her entries, where her writings reveal her disinterest in life. Also, the repeated image of a rebirth in all of her works shows her great desire to be reborn as someone else, indicating her dissatisfaction with her present life. Bachelor of Arts 2010-04-28T06:21:23Z 2010-04-28T06:21:23Z 2010 2010 Final Year Project (FYP) http://hdl.handle.net/10356/36241 en Nanyang Technological University 31 p. application/pdf
spellingShingle DRNTU::Humanities::Literature::English
Ng, Gina Hsaw Teng.
Sylvia Plath's search for an identity.
title Sylvia Plath's search for an identity.
title_full Sylvia Plath's search for an identity.
title_fullStr Sylvia Plath's search for an identity.
title_full_unstemmed Sylvia Plath's search for an identity.
title_short Sylvia Plath's search for an identity.
title_sort sylvia plath s search for an identity
topic DRNTU::Humanities::Literature::English
url http://hdl.handle.net/10356/36241
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