The Unabridged Journals of Karissa Gupta

“I've been tearing around in my nightgown 24/7 Sylvia Plath Writing in blood on the walls.”   The above lines are lyrics from a popular Lana Del Rey song, Hope Is A Dangerous Thing For A Woman Like Me. This song is an archetype for the current craze that has swept pop culture, the romanticism of mental illnesses. This may sound absurd to the ears, but in reality it is chiefly evident in today’s culture. Sylvia Plath, herself has become a symbol for this re- emerging movement. She was a brilliant writer whose work led to the advancement of confessional literature. However, the disheartening truth is that her marvellous literary works aren’t the most significant aspects that led to her rapid fame, it is her tragic suicide. In the year 1963, Plath was found dead in her apartment with her stuck inside an oven. Presently, this mournful incident has been rendered into an ‘aesthetic’ event, something many young women are being drawn to, as if they too desire to be in her shoes and ...