Sylvia Plath Research Paper

Sylvia Plath was born to middle class parents in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. She was the eldest daughter of Otto and Aurelia Plath. Her father was professor of German and entomology at at Boston University, while her mother was a high school teacher. Both of her parents valued education. However, in 1940 Otto died of complications from surgery after a leg amputation.

Sylvia's interests in writing and art continued through her public school years in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and at Smith College, where she attended on scholarships. Her first poem was published when she was eight years old. Sensitive, intelligent, compelled toward perfection in everything she attempted, she was, on the surface, a model daughter. Sylvia’s perfection was however underlain by grave personal discontinuities, some of which doubtless had their origin in the death of her father when she was eight. The depression that was endemic in her father's family troubled her during her junior year; when her mother sought treatment for her, she was given bi-polar electroconvulsive shock treatments as an outpatient. The summer following her junior year at Smith, Sylvia nearly killed herself by swallowing sleeping pills. After a period

Much time and effort was spent on education; the belief being that in a democracy it was only right and fair that all people regardless of skin colour should have the right to a decent education. About 7.7% of central government income went towards bettering education. During this time period (1955) there was plenty of debate in America regarding segregation throughout education, jobs, and in general. The biggest event that occurred at that time was Brown vs. The Board of Education where Kansas Delaware, the District of Columbia, South Carolina, and Virginia all challenged the constitutionality of racial segregation in public schools. This however, didn’t have an affect on Sylvia Plath’s