Appreciating Sylvia Plath

A poet. A novelist. A woman who stuck her head in an oven. A woman whom I consider to be one of the people I look up to the most. A woman who changed the world.

The woman? Sylvia Plath.

I believe that Sylvia Plath is one of the most inspiring women ever.

I first discovered her when I read The Bell Jar and my love for her has only grown since. In history, people who are ahead of their time are often ridiculed, misunderstood and treated poorly. When Plath first wrote The Bell Jar she published it under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas to protect her family and her poetry. She knew that because of the content in the book -- which was considered to be controversial at the time -- might hurt the people she cared about most in her life.

The Bell Jar covers topics of mental health, feminism and sexuality during a time where these things were never talked about. Back during the mid 1900's, treatments for mental illnesses were very limited and involved medically-unsound solutions such as water baths, restraints and even lobotomies. The Bell Jar follows main character Esther Greenwood and her mental breakdown to insanity. In the back of the book there is a note explaining how Plath was very similar to Esther Greenwood and was believed to have gone through a lot of the same struggles. This was even more evident when her journals were published. A book review on the website juliasbooks.com explains what takes place in the book. "Esther further deteriorates until she finally attempts suicide. Much of the second half of the book is an account of the brutal psychiatric treatment she undergoes, including electroconvulsive therapy (which Plath herself endured) and being detained in a mental health facility." Through her work, Plath shined much-needed light on topics that were swept under the rug.

Besides that, Plath put words to feelings I've had but have never been able to explain. An example of this is her "Fig Tree" poem in The Bell Jar. For example, in the poem, the tree is like one's life and the figs are all the options they have. You can take one of them, but that means you won't be able to take any of the rest. It represents indecisiveness and uncertainty. This might be a universal feeling that people have; but up until I read this book, I had never read another book describing anything like this. I also feel like many people in their teenage years and entering adulthood can relate to the poem. An article on paperowls.com explains, "Plath's fig tree remains a powerful symbol of the internal and external struggles that shape our lives, reminding us of the importance of understanding and empathy in the face of human complexity."

Despite Plath's death many years ago, her presence is still very popular in pop culture through movies and music. A well-known 1999 rom-com, 10 Things I Hate About You, depicts the main character Kat Stratford reading The Bell Jar. The people in charge of the movie chose this book because just like how Esther Greenwood is struggling to know what to do in her future, Stratford was going through similar struggles when it came to finishing high school and going to college.

American singer and songwriter Lana Del Rey has also taken a lot of inspiration from Plath in her songs, most particularly in "hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have - but i have it," in which she mentions Plath, as well as scenes from The Bell Jar. An article on anothermag.com goes into further detail by explaining the meaning of Lana Del Rey mentioning Plath. "In 'hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have - but i have it,' Del Rey casts herself as a '24/7 Sylvia Plath.' Plath has become a shorthand for depression, but the song also engages with her work on a deeper level. The refrain of 'I'm not, no I'm not,' mirrors Plath's famous line, 'I am. I am. I am.'"

I truly look up to Plath in many more ways than one. So, take inspiration from her, just like I did myself. Be a person you would look up to. Be a person you would be inspired by. Pick the fig from the fig tree that would make you who you want to be.

Opinion by Lillian Coffin