Comparison Of Identity In The Bell Jar Selected Poems English Literature Essay

Comparison Of Identity In The tam-tam seismic disturbance Selected Poems English writings EssaySylvia Plath is primarily kn deliver for her poetry and her semi-autobiographical invigorated The Bell Jar, create verbally under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas. Both her poetry in Sylvia Plath Selected Poems and her clean The Bell Jar underline many key issues deep down Plaths own life, and both emphasize many different themes. One of the key and strongest themes trail doneout both of these texts is the theme of identity. Through Plaths confessional poetry style and her semi-autobiographical new the reader is able to pick up on Plaths own struggles regarding identity, linking gumption to her battles with mental illness. Many of the key ideas communicate in The Bell Jar are as well picked upon within some of her metrical compositions. The novel is, as red-hot and remorseless(prenominal) as her last poems compose before her suicide on 11th February 1963. The novel The Bell Jar was originally published in 1963 under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas, only to be published in Plaths name in 1971, years after her death Sylvia Plath Selected Poems was published in 1985, after macrocosm put together by her former economize Ted Hughes.Here Esther is parodying herself, thinking that she is something different from what she really is, thus distorting worldly concern. She is also make fun of herself through her appearance, through harsh misinterpretations. She does this through the usage of a mirror, by controling something that isnt really there- changing reality into her own count on of the distorted kitchen range, still showing her inability to comprehend her own features and identity. Plath uses colloquial language throughout the novel, which is apparent through the use of terminology such(prenominal) as a big, smudgy eyes, the use of informal language is also apparent in some of her poetry. She also refers to herself in the stolon individual a lot, th rough the use of the article I and myself (herself in the novel is the protagonist Esther Greenwood). The uniform idea raft be seen through Plaths poem Mirror written in 1961. Even though this poem was written in 1961, 2 years before her death, Plaths deterioration is apparent to the reader. In this poem, Plath focuses on the mirror and the idea behind it, depicting what its purpose is and what it seesI am sliver and ex deport. I have no preconceptions.Whatever I see I swallow immediately, just as it is, unmisted by enjoy or dislike.Here, Plath is saying that the mirror reflects reality, this contrasts with the ideas put forth in The Bell Jar, as within the novel Esther doesnt see what is exactly in the mirror, she perceives herself other than to how others see her, unlike the mirror in the poem, which has no preconceptions, it says how it shows things for how they are, doesnt change reality in any way in the first stanza. Although the tone changes in the second stanza, as it g ive the axe be linked to Esther in the novel, as it is almost the woman and what she perceivesNow I am a lake.The image of the lake can be interpreted as the idea of water, this idea can be linked the theme of distorted images as water moves and distorts the actual image concealed underneath. This poem shows how bad Plaths state of mind was, as does the portrayal of Esther within the novel. The language in the poem differs from that of the novel, as it is less informal than that of Esther Greenwood, it has a more serious tone, once again could be linked to the unstable state of Plath herself. The tone of the poem changes from stanza one to stanza two, the first being more positive than the latter the change occurs when the identity changes from that of the mirror to that of the woman. From these two sections of both the novel and the poem Mirror we can see that the idea of faces and perception is important when considering the idea of identity within the two. Esthers compulsion wi th her own appearance is also shadowed later on in the novel when she says the face in the mirror looked like a worried Indian, thus showing her constant distortion.Another identity issue addressed within both the novel and selected poems is the idea of womanhood within identity. inwardly The Bell Jar Esther separates herself from everybody else through the idea of womens rights. She doesnt want to conform to the suspension of society by following the traditional social rules that were in repoint at the time for example, marriage and children. She also wishes to lose her virginity due to the position that promiscuity in men is acceptable but in women is frowned uponand by chance gone out and slept with somebody myself just to even things up,and then notion no more round it.Within the novel Esther talks like blue murder about sex, she doesnt talk about it romantically it appears to her to be merely an act that must be carried out in order to be a woman, and to get back at Bu ddy Willard. Here the use of the speech communication slept with somebody reimburses the idea of a lax attitude towards sex, and the casualness about it. Esther keeps up this pretence throughout the course of the novel keeping the same rigidity in views. She also presents this idea in a lurid way, development uncultivated images to portray the ideas of sex. Her rejection and failure to conform with societies ideals shows the harsh, bitter and stark world that torments her mind. The violent vision connected with sex is apparent in chapter 9 during Esthers encounter with MarcoThe ground soared and stuck me with a soft shock. MudSquirmed through my fingers. Marco waited until I half rose.Then he put both his work force on my shoulders and flung me back.Throughout this encounter of the novel lots of bloody and violent images are used to portray the possibility of a sexual encounter. The use of the word squirmed gives the impression of uncomfortable and indecent behaviour also tha t Esther isnt enjoying the experience. This can be linked to one of Plaths poems Maudlin. This poem emphasises how the woman is anxious about her sexuality, as it is about a young virgin. The poem uses lots of imagery to portray painful images of sex, and womanhood. The poem uses alliteration to incorporate these images together, by using phrases such as mud mattressed, by using these as scratch words for a poem, the reader already feels uncomfortable as the words themselves are unflattering and dirtyBut at the price of a pin-stitched skinFish-tailed girls purchase each light leg.This section of the poem could be linked to the idea of the little mermaid, and the fact that everything hurts, as she paid for her legs with pain, the word pin-stitched emphasises this. The idea being that you tolerate pain for no purpose, therefore linking negativeness with the idea of womanhood and sexuality the main in this instance being menstruation and childbirth. Even the title of the poem links to sadness as maudlin means to be upset or sad, thus further linking the idea of womanhood to pain and suffering, the words purchase each white leg indicate the pain in menstruation and childbirth within this poem.