Representing Sylvia Plath [Hardcover]

An exploration of the elusive nature of representation in Plath's poetry and the various versions of her that readers encounter.This volume explores the many different layers of Plath's deliberately unreliable and complex representations and the difficult relationship between reader and texts. It evaluates the historical, familial and cultural sources which Plath drew upon, examines her creative processes and investigates instances when she becomes the subject matter for other artists.This volume explores the many different layers of Plath's deliberately unreliable and complex representations and the difficult relationship between reader and texts. It evaluates the historical, familial and cultural sources which Plath drew upon, examines her creative processes and investigates instances when she becomes the subject matter for other artists.Interest in Sylvia Plath continues to grow, as does the mythic status of her relationship with Ted Hughes, but Plath is a poet of enduring power in her own right. This book explores the many layers of her often unreliable and complex representations and the difficult relationship between the reader and her texts. The volume evaluates the historical, familial and cultural sources which Plath drew upon for material: from family photographs, letters and personal history to contemporary literary and cinematic holocaust texts. It examines Plath's creative processes: what she does with materials ranging from Romantic paintings to women's magazine fiction, how she transforms these in multiple drafts and the tools she uses to do this, including her use of color. Finally the book investigates specific instances when Plath herself becomes the subject matter for other artists, writers, film makers and biographers.Introduction: 'Purdah' and the enigma of representation Sally Bayley and Tracy Brain; Part I. Contexts: 1. 'Mailed into space': on Sylvia Plath's letters Jonathan Ellis; 2. 'The photographic chamber of the eye': Plath photography, al3À