Once in a few days, I sit with my book out and start writing like a student. I have been reading an anthology called Coming of Age, edited by Bruce Emra. After years, I felt compelled to sit with questions at the end of each story and write answers on paper. The following entry is from one such question.
First, happy moments don’t stay; Second, it’ll pass; Third, friendships change.
The two occur in the story Her First Dance by Katherine Mansfield. An older man tells a 16-year-old in her first dance that soon she’d age & would only remember that dance as something that happened years ago (not to forget, that the world would have jarred many times at her, having failed her many times). This is tough.
In the other story, Initiation, by Sylvia Plath, protagonist Mellicient is thinking about her friend, Tracy, who was not accepted into the sorority & so, their friendship is bound to change. Mellicient is confident, doesn’t show much care for people, is capable of keeping a stern face even though she is laughing inside. With all this, she is actually thinking a lot about how the initiation might change her. She is trying to defend her decision by giving the logic of impermanence of objects, ideas, people & places. The reader is left thinking that they are in steady thoughts — a person who is confident, is becoming successful, is becoming popular & going on to be the member of a sorority club.
There is this continues reference to Heather birds. Since nothing happens suddenly, the birds had been showing the path along: free, flying, in groups, singing a melodious tune, wild & sweet.
These Heather's birds dip and dart, strong and proud of their freedom and their sometimes loneliness. It was then that Mellicient made her decision.
The victory had been hers many times I think.
But there is other victory of realising that she wanted things that others already had. Of finding this commonality as well as connection. That she will still be getting into the great hall, blazing with lights, of people and of life — except this time taking another road, being a participant instead of the showstopper.
Rejecting the initiation was moving away from the 'soft darkness into the glare of light'. The worst part was that she might not be understood for her decision. The hardest part was to foresee that even though Mellicient was victorious & was just one step away into being officially declared as the member of the group, this is not what she wanted.
We don’t know whether Mellicient is accepted by her friends again. But there is great satisfaction in standing up for yourself & changing the road when you want to.
And even though she had thought of Tracy & her friends, there was no guarantee that Tracy would think the same. Nothing ever stays the same.
The two occur in the story Her First Dance by Katherine Mansfield. An older man tells a 16-year-old in her first dance that soon she’d age & would only remember that dance as something that happened years ago (not to forget, that the world would have jarred many times at her, having failed her many times). This is tough.
In the other story, Initiation, by Sylvia Plath, protagonist Mellicient is thinking about her friend, Tracy, who was not accepted into the sorority & so, their friendship is bound to change. Mellicient is confident, doesn’t show much care for people, is capable of keeping a stern face even though she is laughing inside. With all this, she is actually thinking a lot about how the initiation might change her. She is trying to defend her decision by giving the logic of impermanence of objects, ideas, people & places. The reader is left thinking that they are in steady thoughts — a person who is confident, is becoming successful, is becoming popular & going on to be the member of a sorority club.
There is this continues reference to Heather birds. Since nothing happens suddenly, the birds had been showing the path along: free, flying, in groups, singing a melodious tune, wild & sweet.
Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by.
These Heather's birds dip and dart, strong and proud of their freedom and their sometimes loneliness. It was then that Mellicient made her decision.
The victory had been hers many times I think.
But there is other victory of realising that she wanted things that others already had. Of finding this commonality as well as connection. That she will still be getting into the great hall, blazing with lights, of people and of life — except this time taking another road, being a participant instead of the showstopper.
Rejecting the initiation was moving away from the 'soft darkness into the glare of light'. The worst part was that she might not be understood for her decision. The hardest part was to foresee that even though Mellicient was victorious & was just one step away into being officially declared as the member of the group, this is not what she wanted.
Nothing ever stays the same. Two roads diverged in a wood And I took the one less traveled by.
We don’t know whether Mellicient is accepted by her friends again. But there is great satisfaction in standing up for yourself & changing the road when you want to.
And she knew that her own private initiation had just begun.This is the story’s last line. Surely, life is going to much harder for Mellicient than getting an eeky egg in her head. She still isn’t sure what life has in store for getting out of the group by standing up for herself and her desires. That, this initiation will not just stop at a stranger answering her question of what they had for breakfast. That Heather birds will not always be great reference for making desicions.
And even though she had thought of Tracy & her friends, there was no guarantee that Tracy would think the same. Nothing ever stays the same.