What was Sylvia Plath afraid of?

Answer 1

1. Largely, herself. She extremely unhappy with herself and her image, her own life and being. This is reflected in her novel "The Bell Jar" also.
2. Her relationships - not to say that she was dependent and clingy. In fact, she was sharp and independent at times, but they deeply affected her, the negative relationships she had in life, especially with Ted Hughes. She often feared that their relationship was poor, and later it turned out that he was being unfaithful.
3. Her failures and imperfections. Sylvia felt she was never quite good enough, up to her own standards; when she felt she was unsuccessful in school and wasn't accepted to her school of choice, she tried to commit suicide.

Answer 2

Some say 'bipolar' automatically but there's evidence that this is incorrect. She could have possible been borderline, or had borderline personality disorder. She frequently dropped men and friends out of her life. She felt she didn't understand who she was, and simple things that most could overcome devastated her into short fits of anger or depression, or suicide attempts.

She was extremely insightful but at times was either so impassioned or hateful, it was impossible for her to function or live a normal life. Yet at the same time she could be seen as charming and enjoy herself sometimes - there are even pictures of her smiling in swimsuits at the beach. Contrary to what people may think, not every single day in Sylvia's life was she depressed or miserable. Her moods fluctuated but she didn't, it appears now, seem to have the core bipolar symptoms of uncontrollable mania/irritability that could last for more than a week, for weeks even. She had more borderline symptoms than anything else.

Answer 3

Sylvia Plath was known to have a fear of abandonment, rejection, and failure. Her struggles with mental health, relationships, and the pressure to succeed as a writer also contributed to her fears.