Sylvia Plath and Taylor Swift: A Cultural Analysis of Female Ambition and Taste Hierarchies

In Sleek Magazine, an essay delves into the literary and cultural ties between Taylor Swift and Sylvia Plath, drawing from Maggie Nelson's 'The Slicks: On Sylvia Plath and Taylor Swift.' It emphasizes their shared fervor and ambition while exposing gendered hierarchies in taste. The piece references Pierre Bourdieu's 'Distinction' regarding emotional restraint and critiques the undervaluation of women's fantasy literature, comparing writers like George R. R. Martin to Sarah J. Maas. It also cites Joanna Russ's 1983 work, 'How to Suppress Women's Writing,' along with critical dismissals of both Plath and Swift, including those by Harold Bloom and Howard Moss. The essay examines Plath's 'Daddy' and the 'hungry woman' trope, asserting that women's artistic contributions warrant serious recognition, while also noting Swift's career and her 2014 Glamour interview.