Which deceased historical figure would you like to meet, and what would you like to ask him/her?

"And when at last you find someone to whom you feel you can pour out your soul, you stop in shock at the words you utter— they are so rusty, so ugly, so meaningless and feeble from being kept in the small cramped dark inside you so long."

After reading dozens upon dozens of fiction books, 'The bell jar' continues to stand out from the rest. Not because it may necessarily be the best book I read, but for the hidden messages

alluding to Sylvia Plath's thoughts and desires. One does not need to be depressed to

experience the immense gravity of the character's emotions. How could someone create a book so depressing and hopeless, but simultaneously so beautifully written?

It is not just her semi-autobiography 'The bell Jar' which was indicative of Sylvia Plath's

depressing tones. In her other works such as 'Ariel' and 'The Colossus' She was clinically

depressed for the majority of her life, before ending her life in 1962.

Undeniably, there have been countless authors who've deliberately fallen into depression for the sake of creating better literature. From Stephen King to F.Scott Fitzgerald to Sylvia Plath, there is a distinct correlation between mental illnesses and the creativity of authors. The rationale is that it is to simulate themselves into the shoes of their made-up characters. But to some, it is the only option available.

If I could go back to the past, I want to know: Is it worth it? After earning a

scholarship and numerous prizes for her work, does she still want to continue living a life

dancing with the devil? Or is there even any alternative choice?

To most, it is easy to assume that such people would rather retreat from their writings than suffer the never-ending pain they put up with. Yet, writing could have also been an avenue to express her internal sentiments. In an era where such matters were still heavily stigmatised, documenting her life might have contradicted her health. As someone who is intellectually curious, understanding such struggles would offer not just a greater appreciation for the dual nature of creative writing, but more importantly, the reasons why we keep on doing what we love and hate. As though the mind is a constellation of neurons, that stopped humans from doing what logic so often argued they should.

Question source: Nanyang Technological University- University Scholars Programme essay prompt