PLATH AND IDENTITY DIFFUSION: REVISITING

Abstract

The question of identity is one of the debatable issues in the modern age. It takes a wider range in many different fields and approaches, including literature. It is considered a pivot issue because the crisis impacts the life of the new generation. The purpose of this study is to explore Plath’s identity diffusion in The Bell Jar and Letters Home. Plath suffered from identity diffusion that reflected in her works and drove her to experience an identity crisis. In this qualitative study, the researcher adopts Erikson’s psychosocial identity development using textual and content analysis. Plath becomes a model for all generations. The study concludes the negative sequences of social norms and male dominating system in the life of Plath with her adolescent age that drive her to plan many attempts to commit suicide and yet succeeded in the third one