The Representation of the Oriental Woman in Sylvia Plath’s Poetry: Liberating the Veiled Body in “Purdah” and “Ariel”

Abstract

The present article discusses the representation of Oriental female figures in selected poems of Confessional poet Sylvia Plath, revealing the function of the women’s representations and their contribution to the poet's battle against patriarchy. The Orientalist aspect of Plath’s works is complex and comprises different layers of meanings. The analysis focuses on the characters of Ariel and the Muslim bride in “Purdah” regarding the notion of modesty through the physical and symbolic object of the veil. Thus, the study raises the question of whether the poet offered Eastern women the same voice of liberation as Westerners or whether her judgment was influenced by Oriental discourse that is prone to stereotypes and a lack of knowledge about other cultures and religions. The study relies on Edward Said’s Orientalist discourse, alongside Leila Abu Lughoud’s clarification on the position of Oriental women in the Western eye. The analysis also sheds light on concepts such as the “Wild Woman Archetype” to focus on the paradoxes of empowerment and subjugation embodied in the Oriental figures referenced in Plath’s poems. The study illustrates, through selected poems, the attitude of Sylvia Plath towards Oriental women and her endeavor to speak out on behalf of women's rights universally, at the risk of dismissing the peculiarities of Oriental culture and religion.