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Initiation - By Sylvia Plath

http://elenglish.org/initiation.pdf

1. What specific task(s) is Millicent forced to do?

2. Why is Tracy not asked to be in the (high school) sorority?

3. What decision does Millicent ultimately make?

4. Why do you think the author lets us find out about her decision so early in the story?

5. This story takes place around 1955. How would this situation be handled differently now!

6.Predict and hypothesize what would Millicent's life have been like in the sorority?

7. Explain why you think Herb will or won't talk to Millicent after all of this?

8. At the end of the story, Millicent thinks of birds flying freely outside. Does this symbolize anything for

9. What would you say is the climax of this story?

10. Why might Millicent say that walking out of the basement is "the hardest part of the initiation?

11. Why do you think high school sororities don't exist anymore?

12. Name one static and one dynamic character from this story.

1 Answer

4 votes

Answer:

"Initiation" is a short story by Sylvia Plath that tells the story of Millicent Arnold, a teenage girl who receives an invitation to join an elite and exclusive girls' sorority at Lansing High School. Before she becomes an official member, however, Millicent must demonstrate that she is fit to join the sorority by finishing a series of tasks that are part of the initiation process. During the process, several incidents make her realize that the girls in the sorority are exclusive and superficial. In addition, she encounters an interesting rider on a bus who talks about heather birds, mythological birds that are wild and free. Millicent ultimately decides to leave the sorority after realizing that it is not what she thought it would be⁵⁷.

The climax of this story is when Millicent decides to leave the sorority after realizing that it is not what she thought it would be⁵.

Millicent is forced to do several tasks as part of her initiation into the sorority⁵.

Tracy is not asked to be in the high school sorority because she is not popular enough⁵.

The author lets us find out about Millicent's decision early in the story because it sets up the rest of the plot⁵.

Millicent's life in the sorority would likely have been one of conformity and superficiality⁵.

It is unclear whether Herb will talk to Millicent after all of this⁵.

The birds flying freely outside symbolize freedom and independence⁵.

Millicent says that walking out of the basement is "the hardest part of the initiation" because it represents leaving behind her old life and entering a new one⁵.

High school sororities don't exist anymore because they were seen as exclusive and superficial⁵.

Static character: Louise

Dynamic character: Millicent

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