kr
Karla Rios
English 1B
Prof. Anguiano
December 18, 2007
Looking in the Mirror
Throughout the English 1B course, students are exposed to a wide range of authors with diverse writing styles and subject matter. All the readings assigned in the course employ at least one element of writing such as irony, theme, or symbolism. However, one author not studied in the course is Sylvia Plath. Although much of her notoriety arose from her suicide, her writing is highly interesting. Plath led most of her life crippled with depression which mainly stemmed from her father’s suicide in her early childhood. Consequently her writing is regarded as highly depressing; however, her work is extremely relatable and personal. Therefore, Sylvia Plath’s literary work should be studied because students can relate to the issues she discusses such as harsh physical demands of society, the anguish of losing a loved one and for the use of writing elements such as metaphors, simile, symbolism and imagery in her work.
Although the poems studied throughout the 1B course employed elements of writing, many poems made no connection with students. However, Plath’s work discusses subjects that most students can relate to. The irrational physical expectations of society or the pain of losing a loved one, amongst others, are issues that most students have or will encounter in the future.
A common issue students encounter is the absurd expectations of society to fit the norm. Students are pressured to believe they should have a certain physique and surrender to trends in order to be appealing. Plath discusses those issues in some of her poems. “Mirror” explores the devastation a woman feels when she realizes she is no longer a young attractive girl. “Plath’s Mirror” by Donna Richardson states that, “the final image of the poem reinforces the dehumanizing effect of committing one's identity to the shallow truth of physical appearance”. The mirror is compared to a lake in which the woman sees herself as a terrible fish. According to the website Elite Skills Classics, “The last paragraph uses the metaphor of a lake. This is relevant as there is a famous mythological story of narcissus. He was extremely beautiful and one day whil[e]st drinking from a lake he saw his reflection. He looked at it for so long and so close that he fell in the river and died” (Elite).
By referring to narcissus Plath attempts to make the reader understand that vanity can lead people to do unreasonable things. That is no different then in modern times, when people are constantly bombarded with advertisements for plastic surgery or altering procedures. People are made to feel inadequate, with an inability to accept themselves as they are. “Mirror” would be beneficial for college students to study because many have experienced some form of pressure to change their appearance.
Another issue Plath discusses is the loss of a loved one. In “Daddy” Plath reveals the anguish she has endured since the death of her father. In the poem she states, “I was ten when they buried you./ At twenty I tried to die/ And get back, back to you” ( Plath ). The death of her father left Plath distressed, prompting her to attempt suicide several times during her life. Plath utilizes the poem to declare that she is both sad over his absence yet angry at his decision to commit suicide. She is unable to escape his shadow, be herself and live happily. “She still suffers both the stifling authority of her father and the pain of his early death. This tension between resentment and sadness forms the context for the poem's main theme: the speaker's journey through horror and rage to self-individuation” as Jennifer Dunn explains in “Literary Contexts in Poetry: Sylvia Plath's ‘Daddy’.” Unlike some poems read in the class, students can relate to “Daddy” because many have lost a loved one. Most students can understand the loneliness and long lasting pain Plath suffers from losing her father and may use her poem to approach this situation in a different manner.
By reading literary works that speak directly to the students, the desire to explore the content will increase. The relativity of Plath’s work will allow students to feel a greater sense of satisfaction once they explore the text and realize even a highly skilled writer faced similar issues. Unlike some of the poems read in the course, Plath’s poem will make students reflect on their past experiences or provide some insight into future life circumstances.
In addition to having highly relatable subject matter, Plath’s work employs the writing techniques studied in the course. Plath uses metaphors and similes in her poems. For example, “Mirror” compares the mirror as a lake and the woman to a terrible fish. However, “Metaphors” uses a complicated metaphor to explain the anxiety afflicting a woman as a result of her pregnancy. Plath compares the woman to an elephant at the start of her pregnancy. The most obvious reason for doing so is the weight gain experienced during pregnancy. Another metaphor is the comparison of pregnancy to a train ride, in which the woman has boarded but may not get off. The woman has boarded the train and must follow every turn and direction dictated by the train unable to control its course.
An additional element used by Plath is symbolism. Her most famous novel, The Bell Jar uses symbolism to describe the main character’s insecurities. Scientists utilize a bell jar to closely observe and protect objects during experiments. The main character, Esther Greenwood, has just returned from New York after an internship to her home in Massachusetts where she feels the overwhelming pressure to succumb to the traditional roles set out for women. She feels as if she were trapped under a bell jar.
The bell jar symbolizes the scrutiny women face and the constant pressure to become mothers and wives. Under this bell jar, women have no ability to act freely; rather they must stay motionless and wait for others to dictate their actions. Through the use of symbolism students can peel back the layers of the novel, allowing them to fully understand the text as well as apply this particular writing element studied in the course.
Plath also uses imagery in her literary work. In “Daddy” Plath makes numerous references to the holocaust, and even compares her father to a Nazi. Plath states, “Every woman adores a Fascist/ The boot in the face, the brute / Brute heart of a brute like you.”
By using the imagery of a fatherly figure and a Nazi together, Plath portrays her father as a nurturing, loving individual but also as a violent, fearful person whom she must constantly hide from. As Dunn states, “the darkness of the Holocaust imagery suggests the desperation of the speaker's situation, and hint at the trauma she must undergo to free herself from it” However, her father persecutes her mentally and emotionally forcing her to constantly feel overwhelmed and scared. Since most students in English 1B have some knowledge of the atrocities that occurred in World War II, they can use the imagery to understand the theme of the poem. After reading this poem students will understand that any images which conjure any type of emotion can be used to thoroughly understand the text.
By using the different elements of writing students can obtain a deeper understanding of Plath’s work as well as other writers. Metaphor, symbolism and imagery are only a few of the writing elements used by Plath. However, the writing elements are strategically placed allowing the students to explore the text and contemplate other interesting issues.
The main focus of an English 1B course is to teach students to read, think and write critically. The analysis of complex contents is made possible through the different writing elements available to the students such as irony, tone and diction. Each element allows students to gain a deeper understanding of the literary work. However, although many of the poems discussed in the course used the writing some made no personal connection with the students. Poems regarding windsurfing or grotesque animals leaping out of toilets simply made students feel forced to push themselves through a couple of painful stanzas. However, students can relate to issues such as the loss of a loved one or the stress of constantly trying to conform to society’s standards. As a result students would benefit from studying Sylvia Plath because she discusses those problems in her work. Plath also uses writing elements such as metaphors and symbolism. Plath’s literary work may initially strike students as depressing or overwhelming, however, after utilizing the elements of writing, the message will make the students glad they are exploring Plath’s literary world.
Works Cited
Dunn, Jennifer. "Literary Contexts in Poetry: Sylvia Plath's "Daddy".(2006): 1-1. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Digital Library/Learning Resource Center, Riverside, CA. 8 Dec 2007. http://search.ebscohost.com>.
"Mirror Analysis ." Elite Skills Classics. 27 Nov. 2007. 17 Dec. 2007
.
Plath, Sylvia. "Daddy ." Famous Poets and Poems . 2006. 17 Dec. 2007
.
Richardson, Donna. "Plath's Mirror." Explicator 49.3 (Spring 1991): 193. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Digital Library/Learning Resource Center, Riverside, Ca. 16 Dec. 2007. .
English 1B
Prof. Anguiano
December 18, 2007
Looking in the Mirror
Throughout the English 1B course, students are exposed to a wide range of authors with diverse writing styles and subject matter. All the readings assigned in the course employ at least one element of writing such as irony, theme, or symbolism. However, one author not studied in the course is Sylvia Plath. Although much of her notoriety arose from her suicide, her writing is highly interesting. Plath led most of her life crippled with depression which mainly stemmed from her father’s suicide in her early childhood. Consequently her writing is regarded as highly depressing; however, her work is extremely relatable and personal. Therefore, Sylvia Plath’s literary work should be studied because students can relate to the issues she discusses such as harsh physical demands of society, the anguish of losing a loved one and for the use of writing elements such as metaphors, simile, symbolism and imagery in her work.
Although the poems studied throughout the 1B course employed elements of writing, many poems made no connection with students. However, Plath’s work discusses subjects that most students can relate to. The irrational physical expectations of society or the pain of losing a loved one, amongst others, are issues that most students have or will encounter in the future.
A common issue students encounter is the absurd expectations of society to fit the norm. Students are pressured to believe they should have a certain physique and surrender to trends in order to be appealing. Plath discusses those issues in some of her poems. “Mirror” explores the devastation a woman feels when she realizes she is no longer a young attractive girl. “Plath’s Mirror” by Donna Richardson states that, “the final image of the poem reinforces the dehumanizing effect of committing one's identity to the shallow truth of physical appearance”. The mirror is compared to a lake in which the woman sees herself as a terrible fish. According to the website Elite Skills Classics, “The last paragraph uses the metaphor of a lake. This is relevant as there is a famous mythological story of narcissus. He was extremely beautiful and one day whil[e]st drinking from a lake he saw his reflection. He looked at it for so long and so close that he fell in the river and died” (Elite).
By referring to narcissus Plath attempts to make the reader understand that vanity can lead people to do unreasonable things. That is no different then in modern times, when people are constantly bombarded with advertisements for plastic surgery or altering procedures. People are made to feel inadequate, with an inability to accept themselves as they are. “Mirror” would be beneficial for college students to study because many have experienced some form of pressure to change their appearance.
Another issue Plath discusses is the loss of a loved one. In “Daddy” Plath reveals the anguish she has endured since the death of her father. In the poem she states, “I was ten when they buried you./ At twenty I tried to die/ And get back, back to you” ( Plath ). The death of her father left Plath distressed, prompting her to attempt suicide several times during her life. Plath utilizes the poem to declare that she is both sad over his absence yet angry at his decision to commit suicide. She is unable to escape his shadow, be herself and live happily. “She still suffers both the stifling authority of her father and the pain of his early death. This tension between resentment and sadness forms the context for the poem's main theme: the speaker's journey through horror and rage to self-individuation” as Jennifer Dunn explains in “Literary Contexts in Poetry: Sylvia Plath's ‘Daddy’.” Unlike some poems read in the class, students can relate to “Daddy” because many have lost a loved one. Most students can understand the loneliness and long lasting pain Plath suffers from losing her father and may use her poem to approach this situation in a different manner.
By reading literary works that speak directly to the students, the desire to explore the content will increase. The relativity of Plath’s work will allow students to feel a greater sense of satisfaction once they explore the text and realize even a highly skilled writer faced similar issues. Unlike some of the poems read in the course, Plath’s poem will make students reflect on their past experiences or provide some insight into future life circumstances.
In addition to having highly relatable subject matter, Plath’s work employs the writing techniques studied in the course. Plath uses metaphors and similes in her poems. For example, “Mirror” compares the mirror as a lake and the woman to a terrible fish. However, “Metaphors” uses a complicated metaphor to explain the anxiety afflicting a woman as a result of her pregnancy. Plath compares the woman to an elephant at the start of her pregnancy. The most obvious reason for doing so is the weight gain experienced during pregnancy. Another metaphor is the comparison of pregnancy to a train ride, in which the woman has boarded but may not get off. The woman has boarded the train and must follow every turn and direction dictated by the train unable to control its course.
An additional element used by Plath is symbolism. Her most famous novel, The Bell Jar uses symbolism to describe the main character’s insecurities. Scientists utilize a bell jar to closely observe and protect objects during experiments. The main character, Esther Greenwood, has just returned from New York after an internship to her home in Massachusetts where she feels the overwhelming pressure to succumb to the traditional roles set out for women. She feels as if she were trapped under a bell jar.
The bell jar symbolizes the scrutiny women face and the constant pressure to become mothers and wives. Under this bell jar, women have no ability to act freely; rather they must stay motionless and wait for others to dictate their actions. Through the use of symbolism students can peel back the layers of the novel, allowing them to fully understand the text as well as apply this particular writing element studied in the course.
Plath also uses imagery in her literary work. In “Daddy” Plath makes numerous references to the holocaust, and even compares her father to a Nazi. Plath states, “Every woman adores a Fascist/ The boot in the face, the brute / Brute heart of a brute like you.”
By using the imagery of a fatherly figure and a Nazi together, Plath portrays her father as a nurturing, loving individual but also as a violent, fearful person whom she must constantly hide from. As Dunn states, “the darkness of the Holocaust imagery suggests the desperation of the speaker's situation, and hint at the trauma she must undergo to free herself from it” However, her father persecutes her mentally and emotionally forcing her to constantly feel overwhelmed and scared. Since most students in English 1B have some knowledge of the atrocities that occurred in World War II, they can use the imagery to understand the theme of the poem. After reading this poem students will understand that any images which conjure any type of emotion can be used to thoroughly understand the text.
By using the different elements of writing students can obtain a deeper understanding of Plath’s work as well as other writers. Metaphor, symbolism and imagery are only a few of the writing elements used by Plath. However, the writing elements are strategically placed allowing the students to explore the text and contemplate other interesting issues.
The main focus of an English 1B course is to teach students to read, think and write critically. The analysis of complex contents is made possible through the different writing elements available to the students such as irony, tone and diction. Each element allows students to gain a deeper understanding of the literary work. However, although many of the poems discussed in the course used the writing some made no personal connection with the students. Poems regarding windsurfing or grotesque animals leaping out of toilets simply made students feel forced to push themselves through a couple of painful stanzas. However, students can relate to issues such as the loss of a loved one or the stress of constantly trying to conform to society’s standards. As a result students would benefit from studying Sylvia Plath because she discusses those problems in her work. Plath also uses writing elements such as metaphors and symbolism. Plath’s literary work may initially strike students as depressing or overwhelming, however, after utilizing the elements of writing, the message will make the students glad they are exploring Plath’s literary world.
Works Cited
Dunn, Jennifer. "Literary Contexts in Poetry: Sylvia Plath's "Daddy".(2006): 1-1. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Digital Library/Learning Resource Center, Riverside, CA. 8 Dec 2007. http://search.ebscohost.com>.
"Mirror Analysis ." Elite Skills Classics. 27 Nov. 2007. 17 Dec. 2007
.
Plath, Sylvia. "Daddy ." Famous Poets and Poems . 2006. 17 Dec. 2007
.
Richardson, Donna. "Plath's Mirror." Explicator 49.3 (Spring 1991): 193. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Digital Library/Learning Resource Center, Riverside, Ca. 16 Dec. 2007. .