Sylvia Plath's The Applicant

The 1960’s were a very influential time within history. The period, after world war two saw the return of conservatism as society needed and wanted to control our war torn, uncontrollable world. However, the 1960’s began to shake the rigidity of conservative beliefs. This essay will look at Sylvia Plath’s poem, The Applicant, written in 1962 to explore the gender roles in early 1960’s society. The theme of Plath’s poem is the inequitable idea of gender roles in early 1960’s society, men were expected to be the breadwinner and women were expected to cook and clean. In addition, the poem is a reflection of the relationship between Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, illustrating the absurdity of their relationship. In saying this, the poem could be