In this dissertation, several aspects and processes of the female and melancholic
psyche are discussed in terms of Sylvia Plathâs life and work. The two pivotal
theoretical schools which are thus of interest are psychoanalysis and feminism. In
addition, there is another conceptual framework that is of importance to this study,
namely American moral philosopher Martha Nussbaumâs notion of the narrative
imagination and its role in liberal education. However, this theory is not discussed in
detail but rather provides the broader framework for the dissertation; setting the tone
for the discussions as it were. While this particular analysis is thus by no means
comprehensive or complete, the aim is for the reader to actively apply his/her
narrative imagination in order to more fully grasp the internal world and external
circumstances of the female figures in Plathâs work and thereby grasp some of
Plathâs psychical processes (as opposed to attempting a holistic grasp on Plathâs
psyche).
In terms of psychoanalysis, the various influences that can potentially impact (often
negatively) the human psyche are considered. The focus is mostly on the female
psyche, and therefore the analysis concentrates specifically on the following: the
influence of the Electra/Oedipus complex on the girl/womanâs relationship with the
father figure (both her actual father and the symbolic order which functions as a
father in patriarchal society) and subsequently with her sexual/romantic partners; the
girl/womanâs intense and ambivalent relationship with the mother figure (as the
primal love-object and as the model of ideal femininity); and the reciprocal dynamic
which exists between these relationships and the girl/womanâs psyche and life. The
influence and incarnation of various other psychoanalytic notions are also
considered; such as the ideal ego, the divided self and the masochistic ego.
Furthermore, the characteristics and possible effects of melancholia and the deathdrive
are examined, particularly in terms of suicide as an act of self-affirmation. In so
far as it is possible and plausible, these psychoanalytic notions are related to Plathâs
work and, by inference, to certain aspects of her life.
With regards to feminist theory, theorists who also employ a psychoanalytic stance
(such as the so-called âFrench feministsâ Hélène Cixous, Luce Irigaray and Julia Kristeva) with regards to the specific position of the female figure in patriarchal
society were examined. As such, the thoughts of several well-known and lesser
known feminist theorists (for example, Jacqueline Rose and Juliet Mitchell) are
discussed and applied. Of particular importance is patriarchal societyâs definition of
womanhood and the conflicts which women experience because of this, specifically
within the unique cultural setting of 1950s America. Therefore, the influences of the
symbolic order in numerous of its figurations are examined and how they can silence
women, specifically the female writer. Other central concepts in reaching a deeper
understanding of Plathâs work and some of the psychical aspects she probes
therewith include: the womenâs role as commodity and fetish object, the mother
figureâs role in perpetuating patriarchal pressure on her daughter, the female and
especially the maternal body as embodiment of the abject, and conversely the way in
which writing her body can offer the woman a subjective affirmation in the form of
écriture féminine.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ufs/oai:etd.uovs.ac.za:etd-11112011-111830 |
| Date | 11 November 2011 |
| Creators | Kriel, Johanet Alice |
| Contributors | Dr M Brooks |
| Publisher | University of the Free State |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en-uk |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.uovs.ac.za//theses/available/etd-11112011-111830/restricted/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University Free State or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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