Initiation by Silvia Plath

A detailed Summary of Initiation by Silvia Plath

In the short story "Initiation," Silvia Plath tells the story of a girl who is trying to

fit in by being in an exclusive club. She ends up finding out how to be herself and

not joining the club. Through symbolism, conflict and characterization, Plath

shows readers the importance of being yourself.

One of the big symbols in the story is birds, specifically, Heather birds.

Millicent, the main character, finds out about these birds on the bus from a guy

whom she met while being dared as part of an initiation. The man on the bus

describes these birds as mythological creatures.

Heather birds live on the mythological moors and fly about all day

long, singing wild and sweet in the sun. They're bright purple and have

This quote describes the Heather birds the man talks about in the story.

Towards the end of the story Millicent is deciding between becoming a

found out how to be herself from the initiation. She did not follow the rest of the

when in conflict and have a good time doing things she doesn't like.

should join the sorority at all. Her decision on these two conflicts determines the

overcomes the problem before her and comes out the better for it.

Approximate Word count = 619
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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