The 1950s and 1960s were a troubling time for Americans. Even though the nation was prosperous, a constant threat loomed over the heads of every citizen. The oppressed classes realized that they had more to fear than the active members of society. Not only did they live in fear of attacks from another nation, but also attacks from their fellow citizens of the United States. In America, women were subject to objectification by the men they lived with and in turn began to question the purpose of existence. Neo-romanticism once again became a popular ideology, leading women to aspire to a life outside of the one they were living. The late fifties and early sixties reintroduced several radical ideologies such as feminism, existentialism, and romanticism, all of which proved fatal for Sylvia Plath. Plath was born in the seaside town of Winthrop, Massachusetts, in 1932. During her first eight years of life, Plath was troubled by the birth of a new sibling, the death of a parent and the start of a war. These eight years were the calm before the eventful life of Sylvia Plath. As an only child, Plath felt threatened by the family's new baby. Her new brother, Warren, sparked a disdain for the children Plath would nurture for the rest of her life. In 1940, Plath's father died and essentially deprived the children of a proper relationship with their grieving mother. The family moved inland where Plath focused on writing poetry until she began attending Smith College in 1950. At Smith, Plath received numerous awards for poetry that she had written. After winning the Mademoiselle fiction competition, the popular magazine offered Plath a place on its editorial board. While working with Mademoiselle, Pla...... middle of article ......Sink wrote a very in-depth analysis of the feminist movement in this essay. The general ideas behind feminism helped organize a basic understanding of how the women's movement affected Sylvia Plath. “The Romantic Era”. The France of Victor Hugo. Internet. February 24, 2014. https://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/hist255/index.html This page provides a general description of the Romantic movement. This was useful in the sense that it provided an understanding of how the fundamental themes of the movement affected Plath's life and work. Wagner-Martin, Linda. “Sylvia Plath (1932-1963).” Cengages learning. Internet. February 21, 2014. http://college.cengage.com/english/heath/syllabuild/iguide/plath.htmlThis website provides useful information about Sylvia Plath. Wagner-Martin has composed a comprehensive lesson plan that can be used to teach or study the methods with which Plath wrote.