The Initiation

“Initiation” essay Staying true to self or following the crowd were the two choices that Millicent had to make in the story “initiation” by Sylvia Plath. Often times teenage girls long to be a part of a group or a club to feel a sense of acceptance. Millicent started off as a bashful girl who wanted to be a part of a sorority, and later had an epiphany and decided to reject the membership into the sorority. She declined membership into the sorority because she did not want to lose her best friend Tracy. She did not like the thought of losing her sense of individuality, and felt as if she did not need to belong to a club to relate to other human beings. Tracy, Millicent’s best friend, was not invited into the sorority, and Millicent felt guilty because Tracy had never left her side. The story states that Millicent “didn’t know what caused her revolt, but it definitely had something to do with Tracy.” Although Millicent had the chance to be recognized and gain popularity, she considered the feelings of her best friend. Tracy stated that Millicent would change whether she thought she would or not, but Millicent thought otherwise. Being naïve towards the initiation process, she thought that even after she joined the sorority she and Tracy would remain friends. Millicent was not a well-known girl, but she did have her own sense of individuality. Joining the sorority meant that she would no longer be the quiet girl, but a girl who had to conform to the requirements of the popular. She would have to dress, talk, and act like them. Because of the demoralization involved, Millicent started to question her reasons for wanting to join the sorority. She did not like when her big sister Bev referred to her as “Gopher”. She felt as if the name was a denial of individuality, and she had never been the type to take orders from others. In addition to the fear of losing her sense of individuality, Millicent realized that she did not need to join a club to relate to