Description
Book SynopsisA practical guide to Sylvia Plath's works for middle and secondary schoolstudents One of the most dynamic and admired poets of the 20thcentury, Sylvia Plathwrote work about war, motherhood, jealousy, rage, grief, death, and mental illness that challenged preconceptions about what poetry should be about.Theenduring power of Plath's poetry and prose continues to attract and fascinate a multitude of readers. Best known for her poemsDaddyand LadyLazarus and the novelThe Bell Jar,Plath starkly expressed a sense of alienationclosely linked to both her personal experiences and the to the wider situation of women throughout mid-twentieth-century America.With an eye towards demythologizing Plath and focusing on her achievements,Breaking Down Plathaims to contextualize Plath's work in the larger scheme of Cold War-era gender politics, debates about mental health, and anxiety about global conflict. Breaking Down Plathinforms readers of essential facts aboutSylvia Plath's lifeand explores the works of the influential and controversial American poet, novelist, and short-story writer. Author Patricia Grisafi contextualizes and clarifies important underlying themes in Plath's works while providing insight into how interest in Plath's workdeveloped, how the story of Plath's life has been told, what we still need to discover about her, and why herlifeand art matter. Breaking Down Plath: Presents a critical biography of Plath'slifeOffers a thematic tour through Plath's, short fiction, journals, andlettersExplores the recurrent themes in Plath'spoetryFeatures an overview of the reception of Plath'sworkDiscusses the role of Plath in contemporary popularculture This bookis aprimer for younger or new Plath readers and a welcome addition to the toolbox used by educators, parents, and anyone interested in or studying Plath's life and work.
Table of ContentsForeword ix
Acknowledgments xi
About the Author xiii
Introduction xv
Chapter 1: Who Was Sylvia Plath? 1
Chapter 2: Plath in Her Historical Context 13
Chapter 3: Plath’s Poetry 23
Chapter 4: The Bell Jar, Short Fiction, and Essays 63
Chapter 5: Plath’s Journals and Letters 83
Chapter 6: Plath’s Legacy 93
Bibliography 99
Index 105
