Sylvia Plath: “Daddy” Essay Example
Sylvia Plath: “Daddy” Essay Example

Sylvia Plath: “Daddy” Essay Example

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  • Pages: 4 (1067 words)
  • Published: October 19, 2017
  • Type: Essay
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Sylvia Plath effectively communicates the bitterness and frustration that arose from her father's traumatic death through powerful language. Otto Plath, Sylvia's father, was a German immigrant who taught biology and German at Boston University. Sylvia longed for her father's attention since the birth of her younger brother Warren. Despite being an excellent student and winning numerous awards, Sylvia struggled to meet her "arrogant" father's high expectations. The poem not only reveals Sylvia's emotional state but also encourages readers to empathize with these sentiments.

The feeling of gloom and subjugation is conveyed in the poem through repetition of the word "black". This is exemplified by various elements such as the black shoe, colorless sky, blackboard, and black man.

In the first stanza, Sylvia characterizes her situation as "so-called" and makes a comparison

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to her father. She likens her life to a foot confined within a black shoe. (Line 2)

Within the text, there is an image of a large, dark shoe containing a diminutive foot. This is a metaphor representing the author's relationship with her father, where the shoe signifies the father and the foot symbolizes the author. By revealing this dynamic, the reader gains insight into the focus of the narrative. As shoes are commonly associated with stepping and stomping, it can be inferred that Sylvia may have felt dominated or belittled by her father. This could have potentially damaged her self-esteem.

In a later stanza, Sylvia compares her father to the German Air Force and Hitler, using the phrase: "With your Luftwaffe, your gobbledygoo And your neat mustache" (Stanza 9 line 2). The reference to the Luftwaffe conjures images of World War 2 devastation, with the striking contrast

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between a bomb from a plane and Sylvia's father's pressure on her confidence. This would have angered Sylvia. Additionally, her use of the term "gobbledygoo" could be interpreted as describing the German language, which she may not have understood. Furthermore, Sylvia's mention of the "neat mustache" may suggest a comparison between her father and Hitler in terms of profile and stern arrogance.

Despite her father being of German descent, his behavior mirrored that of Hitler. The author employs metaphorical language to provide a brief characterization of her father, using powerful imagery throughout the poem. The phrase "a bag full of God" symbolizes the all-knowing power her father possessed and how it burdened her for the duration of her life. When young girls view their fathers, they might see them as godly figures - a perspective that perhaps resonated with Sylvia.

The portrayal of Sylvia's father as a marble statue is illustrated in stanza two, lines three to five. Sylvia describes him as "Marble-heavy, a bag full of God, Ghastly statue with one gray toe, Big as a Frisco seal." She uses the characteristics of marble - cold and hard - to emphasize his lack of emotion and communication towards her. It is likely that this representation stems from her father's lack of response and failure to connect with her.

The author employs various symbolism to convey her partner's poor communication skills. For instance, she writes, "So I could never tell where you / Put your foot, your root. / I could never talk to you. / The tongue stuck in my jaw. / It stuck in a barb wire snare."

Stanzas 4-5 refer to the constant reference to

Germany and the War, with "barb wire" from concentration camps and the Holocaust. The language used in line 3 is described as obscene, with the use of the metaphor of an engine chuffing someone off like a Jew. In Stanzas 6-7, the obscenity may be directed towards Sylvia's father, as she uses the theme of war to illustrate her sense of inferiority and domination by him.

By using the word engine repeatedly, the author creates a rhythmic effect in the text and also helps the reader visualize a train moving on its tracks and emitting smoke. Additionally, the author refers to symbolic locations that were once occupied by concentration camps. "...

Sylvia encompasses the theme of Hitler and the Jews in her poem by mentioning infamous concentration camps such as Dachau, Auschwitz, and Belsen in stanza 7 line 3. This also reveals her deep-seated hatred towards her father, as she expreses her fear of the Nazi army through his figure, stating "I have always been scared of you."

The speaker depicts a Panzer-man donning a swastika in the Luftwaffe and having a bright blue, Aryan eye. Simultaneously, she empathizes with the Polish and Jewish groups and senses a likeness to them. In stanza 9, the speaker conveys her anger through repeating the word "brute". She may have utilized some sarcasm while remarking that "every woman adores a Fascist". Additionally, Sylvia discusses her suicide endeavor and being rescued.

Expressing her deep longing, she attempted to end her life just to reunite with her loved ones. But instead, she was rescued and patched up with adhesive, implying her unsuccessful suicide attempt. Her use of rhyme conveys the intensity of her

feelings. Additionally, she conveys her eagerness to connect with her father, indicating that "The voices just can't worm through".

When I try to envision voices traveling through a telephone wire, it's difficult to imagine them wriggling their way through. This comparison is somewhat eerie and makes me empathize with Sylvia and the potentially haunting nature of those voices. She displays some signs of softening towards her father, but not completely. In the poem, Sylvia discusses her husband and how he drank her blood for a year, although it was actually seven years – the duration of their marriage that included Ted Hughes' affair.

Sylvia draws a comparison between him and a vampire as well as likening her father to one, evoking empathy from the reader. She emphasizes her emotions through assonance, stating "A stake in your fat black heart".

Reading the words aloud, they have a ruthless and almost sinister tone. The poem concludes with the powerful statement, "Daddy, daddy, you bastard, I'm through." This declaration signifies the end of the speaker's compliance with her father's expectations and also signifies her departure from him as well. The language used may seem cold, yet it carries significant meaning as she has finally come to terms with his arrogance and superiority. The speaker repeatedly referring to him as "daddy" throughout the poem may indicate a longing for her childhood memories of her father.

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