The Life of Sylvia Plath: a Comparison of the Bell Jar

If neurotic is wanting two mutually exclusive things at one and the same time, then I 'm neurotic as hell. I 'll be flying back and forth between one mutually exclusive thing and another for the rest of my days" (Sylvia Plath from famous poets). Sylvia Plath, a true icon in the literary world, comes from a broken background which serves to further explain the path her life eventually took. While events from the formidable childhood years of Sylvia Plath set her up for struggles during and after college, The Bell Jar and Holocaust poetry continue to provide the basis for understanding Plath the author and intrigue critics to this day. "I feel like an outcast on a cold star, unable to feel anything but an awful helpless numbness. I look down into the warm, earthy world, into a nest of lovers ' beds, baby cribs, meal tables, all the solid commerce of life in this earth, and feel apart, enclosed in a wall of glass." ("celebration" 2) This brief look into the mind of Sylvia Plath states more about the depth and despair of her character than one would gather at first glance. Events from the formidable childhood years of Sylvia Plath set her up for struggles during and after college that would stretch to her tragic end. Sylvia Plath was born on October 27, 1932 in Boston, Massachusetts to Otto and Aurelia Plath. She grew up in Winthrop, Massachusetts where she became fascinated with the ocean. She began to develop a deep relationship with her father here, as well. Otto taught at Boston University. He was a renowned beekeeper, and constantly impressed little Sylvia with his bee handling skills. Tragically, he died in 1940 of diabetes mellitus. His death was very preventable because, at the time, this disease was easily treated and cured. However, Otto had a dominant personality that kept him from taking action regarding his health. ("celebration" 3) The following year proved trying for the family, since all of them were dealing with the

Cited: Forbes, Deborah. SparkNotes on The Bell Jar. New York: Spark Publishing, 2002. Oates, Joyce Carol