The Life, Works and Memory of Sylvia Plath

Sylvia started her life in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts on October 27, 1932. During her early childhood, Sylvia's father Otto suffered from a lengthy illness. Otto, certain he had cancer, did not seek treatment initially. When he finally did see a doctor, a case of diabetes was diagnosed but by that time his illness was advanced. His end was horribly uncomfortable with suffering which included the amputation of a leg. Considering Sylvia’s young age at the time of her father’s passing, this long and emotional period must have been a traumatic experience for her. Reference to the leg is made in "Daddy" Otto died just days past Sylvia's 8th birthday.
Sylvia was an excellent student and in 1950 she was accepted into Smith College on a scholarship. She was at the top of her class and should logically have been very happy. That was not the case. She lived in fear that it would be found out that she wasn't the perfectly happy person she tried to project. She came home from New York in ...