The Glass Half Empty

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“I desire the things which will destroy me in the end” (Plath).
Sylvia Plath’s father had such a profound effect on her life that many of her famous poems, both positive and negative, can be traced back to him. Throughout her poetry it is revealed that the tragic events pertaining her father created a complex relationship, in which she felt abandonment. Her poems “Daddy”, “Electra on Azalea Plath”, and “Lady Lazarus” all show great emotional effects her father had on her life.
On October 27, 1932, Sylvia Plath was born to a mother of Austrian descent and a father of German descent. Together lived in a small apartment in Boston, where her father, Otto, taught German and biology. In 1940, her father passed away from complications of diabetes. This all happened when Sylvia was only 8 years old. As Plath grew older, she was diagnosed with depression. She tried to commit suicide a numerous amount of times, although failed each time. This was later found out to be a hereditary problem from her father’s side of the family. In spite of the fact she dealt with depression, she found herself at the top of her class, excelling in writing. She graduated from Smith college in 1955, graduating with the highest honors.
The death of her father created a lifelong effect on Plath and through that, also driving her closer to death. In her poem, “Daddy”, she communicates a representation of her fatherless destitution. She goes on to write
“I was ten when they buried you.
At twenty I tried to die and get back, back, back to you.”

This is Plath’s way of introducing her heartache as a daughter in a fatherless world where, after so long, she still wishes to go back to him. Without having a father figure in her life, she shows rage throu...

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... http://www.internal.org/Sylvia_Plath/Daddy

"On "Daddy"" On "Daddy" N.p., n.d. Web. 1 May 2014. http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/m_r/plath/daddy.htm "On "Lady Lazarus"" On "Lady Lazarus" N.p., n.d. Web. 1 May 2014. http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/m_r/plath/lazarus.htm “Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 5 May 2014.” https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/lady-lazarus "A Quote by John Green." Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 May 2014. http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/553713-lies-are-attempts-to-hide-the-truth-by-willfully-denying "Sylvia Plath." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 10 May 2014. http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/sylvia-plath

"The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath Quotes." By Sylvia Plath. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 May 2014.
https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/3094683-the-unabridged-journals-of-sylvia-plath

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