Spinster Plath

Question 1

Spinster deeper themes

Answer 1

The societal pressure to conform to traditional gender roles: The poem suggests that women are expected to fulfill certain roles in society, including marriage and motherhood, and that those who do not conform to these expectations may be ostracized or labeled as “spinsters.” Plath challenges this gendered expectation and suggests that there is value in forging a unique path in life, regardless of societal expectations.

The tension between conformity and individuality: The poem explores the tension between the desire to fit in with societal expectations and the desire to forge a unique path in life. Plath suggests that conforming to traditional roles and expectations may offer a sense of security and stability, but that it can also be limiting and stifling to one’s individuality.

The search for fulfillment and happiness: The poem reflects on the struggle to find fulfillment and happiness in life, and the tension between external expectations and personal desires. Plath suggests that true fulfillment may come from embracing one’s individuality and following one’s own path, rather than conforming to societal expectations.

Question 2

Patriarchy:

Answer 2

• ‘ceremonious’, ‘suitor’, ‘intolerably’ -> formal, precise diction -> sense of ritual -> critiques its usefulness
• The speaker uses the metaphor of a “barricade of barb and checks” to describe the defences she has erected around her solitude. This metaphor conveys that the speaker is actively resisting societal pressures and expectations that threaten her peace and autonomy.
• The use of the metaphor of the lover’s “gestures unbalance[ing] the air” emphasizes the speaker’s sense of being destabilized and controlled by men. The lover’s gait straying unevenly suggests a lack of control and stability, which the speaker finds unsettling.
• She uses the “house” as a metaphor for herself.

Question 3

Dissatisfaction:

Answer 3

• The sea is used as a symbol of the speaker’s desires and dissatisfaction. The sea is described as “heaving in its magenta corsets, in cravats of horned wind and storms, in its soiled ballerina’s dress,” contrasting with the image of the well-dressed and successful gentlemen the speaker rejects. The sea represents the speaker’s desire for something more authentic and truer herself, rather than the superficial trappings of traditional success.
• She heavily dislikes the chaos as she finds relationships to be unpredictable like the weather —> (like spring) —> there is no sense of uniformity
• Foremost, in the first stanza, Plath gives the visual imagery of a woman taking a walk in the midst of spring with her lover. What ordinarily would be a pleasant image, is depicted as very formal and dull as the walk is “ceremonious” and the male companion is not a romantic lover but is rather just one of the woman’s suitors (line 2).
• By using such words as “ceremonious” and “suitor” to explain what may seem as an enjoyable experience on the surface, the woman implies that she is indifferent towards the man and just walks with him to keep up appearances or in other words to do what is customary with the norms of courtship.

Question 4

Grief/Frustration

Answer 4

• The imagery in the poem conveys a sense of chaos and disorder, which can be seen as a metaphor for the speaker’s internal turmoil and grief. For example, the speaker is “intolerably struck / By the birds’ irregular babel / And the leaves’ litter,” which suggests a sense of overwhelm and disorientation.
• The phrase “a treason not to be borne” emphasizes the strength of the speaker’s feelings of discontent and frustration.