• Performativity, Confession, and the Female Writer, as illuminated by the lives and works of Sylvia Plath and Dorothy Hewett

The nature and value of confessional writing has been widely debated in the literary field, particularly in relation to women’s writing. Scholars such as Rita Felski have identified a rising prevalence of feminist confessional writing, rendering analysis of the genre increasingly relevant. Further research is especially important considering the problem of women’s autobiographical stories being stereotyped as “women’s writing” and frequently dismissed within the literary canon.

While my paper addresses the broad issues outlined above, it also identifies why certain authors experience more success than others. I compare Sylvia Plath with Dorothy Hewett, for Hewett was Plath’s contemporary and her works explored similar themes; yet she was far less recognised even within Australia owing to her politics, her confrontational attitude, and the lack of mythology surrounding her death. I believe authors’ self-presentation significantly impacts their works’ reception and endurance – however, this issue has not been directly addressed in previous research despite its impact on attitudes towards confessional writing. Moreover, there is very little research on Dorothy Hewett despite her literary achievements, and none which compares her to Plath.

My paper specifically explores the relationship between truth, confession, and autobiography, as well as the impact of gender on perceptions of writing. I discuss performativity and self-preoccupation in relation to writing one’s own persona, and also explore the issue of social entrapment faced by both authors, and their consequent romanticisation of suicide. This leads to further discussion of the impact an author’s death has on reception of their work, which is an essential point for both scholars and the general public to acknowledge if they are to develop a more objective understanding of an author. The implication of my research is that authors such as Dorothy Hewett have been overlooked, and that it is necessary to rediscover and re-evaluate forgotten female authors.