A show gathers a crowd. People come to see the magic, to see the talent the performer can offer. The performance puts the audience into a trance; “Watch me, watch me! Look at what I can do!”. The performer captivates the spectators attention, giving the performer power. Power is the force that drives humanity; it is what humans fight for. Everyone wants to be the performer and have the power. However, in society in the 1960s and years prior, power has only ever been granted to men; women were considered incapable and to weak to uphold any power. Over the years women have been fighting a battle to serve as a “performer” and today, though there are still setbacks, women have reached major heights; being some of the most highly noted people in authority. The poem Lady Lazarus by Sylvia Plath, written in 1962, speaks out against the dominant male figures who did not accept women as a high power. Plath transforms the reader into the mind of herself
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(Plath)
The word “Herr” meaning “Mr.” or “Sir” in German (“Herr.”). Plath is challenging what is known to be some of the most popular dominant male entities: God and Lucifer, also known as the Devil, in order to empower the female voice. Plath also speaks in a tone to allow a sense of fear:
She also speaks to Herr Doktor, inviting him to "Peel off the napkin / O my enemy" and smugly questions, "Do I terrify?-"(10-12). Lady Lazarus's aggressive tone suggests that she wants to see if her appearance startles or shocks him so that she might gain an advantage over him. (Dahlke 234)
Plath does not do this to scare the dominant male figures of the poem, but to show her strength and capability; not just to Lady Lazarus, but to the female voice as a whole. The description of Lady Lazarus makes her out to be fearful, giving her an strong edge against her male oppressors trying to drag her down. The strength she exhibits through this image of fear show her willingness to fight against the
(Plath)
The word “Herr” meaning “Mr.” or “Sir” in German (“Herr.”). Plath is challenging what is known to be some of the most popular dominant male entities: God and Lucifer, also known as the Devil, in order to empower the female voice. Plath also speaks in a tone to allow a sense of fear:
She also speaks to Herr Doktor, inviting him to "Peel off the napkin / O my enemy" and smugly questions, "Do I terrify?-"(10-12). Lady Lazarus's aggressive tone suggests that she wants to see if her appearance startles or shocks him so that she might gain an advantage over him. (Dahlke 234)
Plath does not do this to scare the dominant male figures of the poem, but to show her strength and capability; not just to Lady Lazarus, but to the female voice as a whole. The description of Lady Lazarus makes her out to be fearful, giving her an strong edge against her male oppressors trying to drag her down. The strength she exhibits through this image of fear show her willingness to fight against the