Daddy, Daddy

Even after giving my presentation on Sylvia Plath's poem "Daddy", something about the analysis I gave was bothering me. How could it possibly be that she could love and miss the man who "bit her pretty red heart in two"? After thinking about it off and on all weekend, I suddenly had a lightbulb moment. For Plath, losing her dad must have been like losing a boyfriend or girlfriend is for most people-- you miss the person for a while not because you miss them as a person necessarily, but because you miss them out of habit and of their being someone who held that significant place in your life. In other words, Plath missed a father, not necessarily that father (Electra complex aside). She loved him as a placeholder, someone who (arguably) filled role of the fatherly figure in her life, not as Otto Plath in particular. A small distinction, perhaps, but one that eases my confusion greatly. Hope this helps anyone else who didn't quite understand that aspect of the poem.
Little Red