Comparing Character Analysis In 'Look At Me And Initiation'

The short story, “Initiation”, by Sylvia Plath , and the poem, “Look At Me” by Peg Hoddinott, are similar. In “Initiation”, a girl named Millicent is selected by a sorority and must undergo a week of ‘testing’. The week of hazing leads Millicent reflect on what truly matters. Although the social acceptance of being popular is intoxicating, she is inwardly unhappy at the thought of being fake. In the poem, “Look At Me”, a girl is begging society to see her true self, not her appearance on the outside. Overall, people just want to be liked for who they truly are, not who people want them to be.

Millicent, the protagonist in “Initiation”, struggles with the conflict of wanting to be liked, and wanting to be her true self. At the beginning of the story, she thinks that all that matters is fitting in and being liked. This is proven by the story, “What girl would not want to be in her place now? Millicent thought, amused. What girl would not want to be one of the elect, no matter if it did mean five days on initiation before and after school, ending in the climax of Rat Court on Friday night when they made the new girls members. Even Tracy had been wistful when she heard the Millicent had been one of the five girls to receive an invitation.” This perfectly expresses Millicent’s thoughts on what makes you happy. She

believes that all it takes is being popular and being apart of the largest sorority in high school. Millicent also struggles with self-consciousness, and is very aware of what other people think about her. For example, ‘Were they talking about her?” Millicent cares what people think about her and really wants those thoughts to be good. Overall, the protagonist in “Initiation”, struggles with wanting to be liked and being her true self.
The internal conflict for Plath’s main character is complicated further by the character’s association with a secondary character, Bev, who is working to stay atop the high school social hierarchy. Bev is a very complex character, being jealous, rude and part of the Rat Court. In order to be a part of the sorority, she must go through a week of testing, or “initiation”. The candidates have a “big sister” during that week, whom they must obey. Millicent’s “big sister” is Bev, the toughest. During this week Bev is rude to Millicent, proved by this quote, “Get up gopher...I said get up. Are you deaf?” Just the tone of the phrase tells you instantly that Bev is not nice. Bev is also jealous of Millicent. Herb Dalton, a popular boy at the school, talked to Millicent one day, and it seemed as if he had interest in her. Bev saw this and interrupted him. Later in the story, Bev is sweet talking Herb. “Bev seemed very cross about something. Finally she said, ‘You were talking to Herb Dalton at lunch today.’ ‘No’, said Millicent honestly.” Bev was jealous that Herb was talking to and smiling at Millicent, because she has a liking for him. Overall, Bev further complicates Millicents conflict with popularity and being judged.
Both the protagonist and her friend, Tracey, of “Initiation” demonstrate a universal truth about human nature—that we have a basic instinct to protect others of our own species, and that we all have a basic need for love and acceptance. In the case of Plath’s story the author tells us that we will often sacrifice one of our own to fulfill that need for love and acceptance, which is shown through Millicent shunning her best friend, Tracy, when she is invited into the sorority and she is not. This is proven by the story, "It won't be any different with us, Tracy,’ Millicent had told her. ‘We'll still go around together like we always have, and next year you'll surely get .in.’ ‘I know, but even so,’ Tracy had said quietly, ‘you'll change, whether you think you will or not. Nothing ever stays the same." Tracy knew that they would never be the same, and things that used to be would not be anymore. Another universal theme is that, to gain something, you must lose something. In Plath’s story, Millicent gains popularity, but loses a friend. Overall, both Millicent and Tracy demonstrate a widely used theme - as a species we all strive for love and acceptance, no matter what the cost.
The conflicts in Sylvia Plath’s story is likewise revealed in the poem by Peg Hoddinott as the author writes of the internal yearning of the speaker of the poem to be understood and accepted.

The poem “Look at Me” reflects the universal theme displayed in Plath’s short story - It is a human need for love and acceptance and we strive for it. The speaker is begging society, to look at them for who they really are, no matter what they look like. “ Look at me. Please see me Not my clothes or stubby nails of homely face. Open your heart so you can see mine.” The speaker wants the reader to look past the outside, and see who they really are on the

inside.
The speaker of the poem is saying that they want you to see them how they really are, don’t judge them for what the reader sees. They don’t want the reader to understand them or be like them, just accept them for who they are. This relates to the story because Millicent rejects the sorority because she realizes that the Rat Court is judgemental and not as great as it seems. Overall, the elements of the story and poem tie together.
The realistic conflicts acted out in Plath’s story, and the secret pleadings in Hoddinott’s poem both reflect the strong and desperate emotions involved in our search for personal and moral identity. The conflict involved in Millicent’s betraying Tracey and the poem’s speaker pleading to be acknowledged is understood worldwide. It is a universal truth with which all people are able to identify. Man as a social animal derives both blessings and curses from his “pack.” Although man depends on the power of his “pack” for safety and protection, he must be wary of the power of the pack to exile one of its members. Overall, Millicent and the speaker of the poem just want to be accepted and like for who they really are.