It’s March, which means it’s international women’s history month! In this blog we will take a look back on a woman who forged literary history; discussing topics such as mental health and feminism far before their time. 

Despite their brilliance, many of the inspiring poets and novelists of the 20th century are defined by their deaths or bouts of mental illness, rather than the works that led to their fame. 

Sylvia Plath (1932 – 1963), is one of many women undermined by their deaths, despite their outstanding contributions to literature and feminism. Born in Massachusetts, US, her climb to fame came through academic success and an early passion for poetry after writing her first poem at age 8. Despite competitions won and scholarship winning intelligence, Sylvia found herself in crisis at an early age: with bipolar disorder impacting her heavily until, she made an attempt on her life at the age of 20. This, along with the subsequent recovery, was an influence on one of her most famous works, the heavily autobiographical The Bell Jar; which follows Esther Greenwood on a journey through sexuality, mental health, loss, and the trials and tribulations of being a young woman struggling with identity. 

So why is she such a feminist icon?

Plath is revered as a feminist icon across the globe, for her role as a “confessional poet” – making way for future women to write deep and meaningful pieces as reflections of their lives. In the media, The Bell Jar is often noted as a symbol for rebellion and expression amongst strong female characters – such as Sabrina (Sabrina The Teenage Witch), Lisa Simpson (The Simpsons) and Maeve Wiley (Sex Education); all headstrong and noticeably eccentric within their respective media. These characters often reflect her repulsion of social conventions – particularly in the context of domesticity, something that Sylvia herself always struggled to conform within, as noted in Self-Transformation: Images of Domesticity in the Poetry of Sylvia Plath and Adrienne Rich by Allison Carey; an incredible read into the struggles faced by women in the home and academia following the Second World War.

Her discomfort within a patriarchal setting is often what feminists and fans connote to her role as an inspiration for second wave feminism, something that she never got to see, but was often a talking point within. Second wave feminism, which focuses mainly on anti-discrimination and equality surrounding gender roles and careers, was piloted by women aiming to have more freedoms inside and outside the home; something that many argue would have allowed Plath and many like her to truly pursue things without the tether of a domestic lifestyle to hold them back. 

Contradictory pressures for women; expectations to be a good wife, a good mother, sensible and meek, while also being bubbly, engaging, “hot” and intelligent, are still struggles that women of today face – despite the actions of second wave feminists. Through this, though, women today are still able to connect back to the musings of Sylvia and many other female writers, especially at such a turbulent time for women’s rights across the globe. 

By Halle Mills, SGO Project Officer