In her journal, Sylvia Plath reflects on the troubling obsession that society seems to have with violence and destruction, particularly regarding how men are both punished and celebrated for acts of murder. She questions the moral contradictions inherent in electing to execute individuals for personal murder while simultaneously honoring those who commit mass killings in the name of war. Plath's observation highlights the societal norms that differentiate between types of killing and the troubling implications of these distinctions. She provokes thought about how we view heroes and villains and the values we assign to acts of violence depending on the context, suggesting a complex relationship with death in both personal and political dimensions.

In her journal, Sylvia Plath reflects on the troubling obsession that society seems to have with violence and destruction, particularly regarding how men are both punished and celebrated for acts of murder. She questions the moral contradictions inherent in electing to execute individuals for personal murder while simultaneously honoring those who commit mass killings in the name of war.

Plath's observation highlights the societal norms that differentiate between types of killing and the troubling implications of these distinctions. She provokes thought about how we view heroes and villains and the values we assign to acts of violence depending on the context, suggesting a complex relationship with death in both personal and political dimensions.