Ocsovai Dóra
Magyar-Francia Felvilagosodaskori Kutatokozpont, Szeged, Hungary, E-mail:
Psychiatr Hung. 2019;34(2):113-127.
Due to her childhood spent on the Atlantic coast, the element of sea had a major influence on both Sylvia Plath's artistic carreer and personality. In the present paper we intend to offer a literature psychological analysis of the water metaphor in the oeuvre, focused on the following themes; The vital water; The fearful water; The passionate water and The healing water. Our aim through the analysis of her poetry and novels is to explore the role of this dual symbol in the life of the poet with a well-known polarized personality. Why water has become adequate to express her ambivalences? Finally, how did the relationship with the water element affect the personal life and illness of the author, and what impact of these can be unveiled in the oeuvre?