The Performance and Interrogation of 'Generic Lives' and Gendered Selves in the Confessional Poetry of John Berryman and Anne Sexton

Bachelor Thesis , 2017 , 51 Pages , Grade: 1,3

English Language and Literature Studies - Literature

This thesis aims to examine the interrogation and performance of generic lives and gendered selves in the poetry of John Berryman and Anne Sexton. In doing so I will give answers to the following questions: In how far did social norms influence the lyrical I’s way of thinking and acting?

Or were those societal restrictions excluded from the isolated situation of the poem? Are gender conventions more present in poems featuring a female persona? Not more than 60 years ago North America was strongly biased with unrealistic gender roles. Women were stereotyped as housewives whose greatest struggles were keeping husband and children satisfied, the household and their good looking. However, thousands of women missed to meet those expectations and considered themselves as individual failures. However, not only women suffered from social etiquette that was imposed on them. The excessive promotion of virility equally troubled many men.

Then, in the 1960s, there was a significant change. Influenced by the radical formations of various citizen movements gender concepts were challenged - not only in a political context but also within the arts. For the first time after centuries, poetry, again, dealt with political issues. This was the time of the Beats and the Confessional Poets. The latter group is often associated with poets such as John Berryman, Robert Lowell, Sylvia Plath, and Anne Sexton.

The works of Berryman and Sexton will be examined in more depth. Both of them used their poems to express their personal views on the conventions of the period. What was intended to serve as a form of self-therapy turned into poetic empowerment
for many Americans who experienced similar circumstances, but were too afraid to talk about it publicly. In this respect, Anne Sexton has often been considered as a precursor of following feminist movements. The lyric of the male poets of the time, however, has mostly been ignored in this context. Both poets were working during the 1950s and 60s, both experienced socially imposed gender treatments, both lived the 'generic life'. The expression refers to the seemingly predetermined lifestyle of these poets including parental difficulties in their childhood, excessive alcohol and drug abuse, mental disorders, publicly displayed affairs, as well as suicidal tendencies.

While Sexton’s poetry continuously tackles the problem of gender conventions, Berryman’s remarks on the topic are rather subtle.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• 1 Introduction
• 2 Theoretical Main Part
• 2.1 Gender Theory
• 2.2 Confessional Poetry
• 2.3 The Poet and the Woman-Poet
• 2.4 On America's Society, Gender Roles and Poetry in the 1950s and 60s
• 2.5 Biographies
• 2.5.1 John Berryman
• 2.5.2 Anne Sexton
• 3 Analytical Main Part
• 3.1 Gendered Selves in the poetry of John Berryman
• 3.2 Gendered Selves in the poetry of Anne Sexton
• 3.3 Summary
• 4 Conclusion
• 5 Works Cited

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This thesis examines the interrogation and performance of 'generic lives' and gendered selves in the poetry of John Berryman and Anne Sexton. The central aim is to explore the influence of social norms on the lyrical 'I's' thinking and actions, specifically concerning the presence of gender conventions in poems featuring female personas. To achieve this, the study will investigate the relationship between social restrictions and the isolated situation of the poem.

• Gender theory and the construction of femininity as "the other" in the works of Simone de Beauvoir and Judith Butler.
• The genre of confessional poetry and its significance in the context of the 1950s and 60s.
• The impact of societal and political events on gender roles and the representation of gender in poetry during this period.
• The biographical experiences of John Berryman and Anne Sexton and their influence on their respective poetic expressions of gendered selves.
• The analysis of gender-specific themes such as identity, guilt/accusation, love, empathy, empowerment/oppression, and isolation in the poetry of both poets.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Introduction: This chapter introduces the topic of gender and gender roles within American society, highlighting the relevance of the topic both historically and in the contemporary context. It discusses the changing definitions of gender and the evolution of gender roles, particularly in the 1950s and 60s. The chapter also introduces the focus of the thesis: examining the poetry of John Berryman and Anne Sexton in relation to gendered selves and 'generic lives.'
• Theoretical Main Part: This section provides a theoretical framework for the study. It explores the concept of gender theory, focusing on the works of Simone de Beauvoir and Judith Butler. The chapter also discusses the genre of confessional poetry, highlighting its importance in the 1950s and 60s, along with the concepts of the (man-)poet and the woman-poet.
• Analytical Main Part: This section focuses on the analysis of John Berryman and Anne Sexton's poetry. It examines their work in relation to gender-specific aspects of identity, guilt/accusation, love, empathy, empowerment/oppression, and isolation.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This thesis explores the intersection of gender, identity, and poetry, focusing on the confessional poetry of John Berryman and Anne Sexton in the 1950s and 60s. Key terms and concepts include gender theory, confessional poetry, "generic lives," gendered selves, social norms, the 'lyrical I', societal restrictions, female personas, identity, guilt/accusation, love, empathy, empowerment/oppression, and isolation.

• College: University of Dusseldorf "Heinrich Heine"
• Grade: 1,3
• Author: Elena Mertel (Author)
• Publication Year: 2017
• Pages: 51
• Catalog Number: V498158
• ISBN (eBook): 9783346014375
• ISBN (Book): 9783346014382
• Language: English
• Tags: Anne Sexton, John Berryman, Personal is Political, poetry, suicide, gender, generic lives, confessional poetry, USA, Sixties, gender studies