English 20-1 PRT - Grade: A PDF

Preview

Summary

A personal essay English 20-1...

Description

Life is full of boundless possibilities. However, to transform an opportunity into a reality, we have to choose to sacrifice something to attain something else. That might be the most uncomfortable fact: we can gain nothing without something relinquished. Through Millicent, Sylvia Plath suggests that many people may have to confront the unpleasant truth of a dilemma which requires individual sacrifice to choose between identity and acceptance. In the end, people may come to realize that they will have to leave the beautiful illusion behind and face the displeasing outcome which is the possible loneliness of being a true individual.

Confronting the unpleasant truth has never been easy because it requires people to have courage, selfconfidence and ability to figure out themselves. That was the most challenging process which Millicent Arnold need to undergo in the short story. Initially, Millicent was an insecure and conflicted school girl who hardly felt related to other friends. Therefore, she is seeking acceptance and connection to other friends by being initiated into the sorority at Lansing High. She wanted to change herself to be a confident girl to achieve the attention of people at Lansing High, and that was her motivation for joining the sorority. However, Millicent was also proud, rebellious and free-spirited when "rebellion flooded through her" (202) because she felt "a denial of individuality." (202), then she "decided her revolt." (199) She valued freedom and personal identity even at a cost. For instance, because Millicent valued identity which was shown most clearly in people's name, she was annoyed and felt unpleasant about the label "gopher," even that was the label of the girls being initiated. Nevertheless, she had waited years for acceptance and sense of belonging from other friends, so she had to restrain her pride to go through the final challenge of the initiation. Since Lansing High was a miniature society where the exploration of social hierarchies was strongly growing and developing, being one of the elects is synonymous with being a noble princess who could have special favors like the right to enter the ballroom. Millicent thought if she got through initiation time, she could be that princess and be able to come into her rightful kingdom with her prince like what people wrote in the story books. With that label, Millicent believed that she was able to be confident with herself to live with her pride and personal freedom as well as achieve acceptance. As a result, it did, somehow, bring her attention and acceptance from the others because everybody knew that she was invited to the initiation to be one of the elects.

However, as getting through initiation time, Millicent came to realize the unpleasant truth of a dilemma that she had to choose one between identity and acceptance. The most painful thing of the dilemma was that she could have both and each choice had its cost and it would always end up with a sacrifice. Being a princess was an illusion, not a chance to value her freedom and identity, conversely, it took them away from her. For instance, the big sisters always called the girls being initiated by the label "gopher," including Millicent. A name represents identity, a deep feeling and holds tremendous significance to its owner; therefore, giving others the label "gopher" was degrading and "it was a denial of individuality." (202) To follow the repressive rules of the sorority, Millicent could not say anything unless her big sister asked her something or told her to talk to someone, and she could not smile, no matter how she was dying to. It meant she would live like a dependent life and give up the rights which had already been inherent in every human being. Furthermore, Millicent was looking for not only the acceptance but also the values of herself. Hence, the thought about Herb that “would he ask her out (if he ever did) just for

herself, no strings attached?” (brought the desire to be unique and original up and pushes past the need to be popular.

Illusion is the first of all pleasures. Nothing is sadder than the death of an illusion. If we choose, we can live in a world of comforting illusion or face the unpleasant truth of life. Who knows what real loneliness is, not the conventional word but the naked of terror? To the lonely themselves, it wears a mask. The most miserable outcast hugs some memory or some illusion....