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The Similarities Between Initiation And Kenyon's

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Society is built to treat those considered ‘normal’ with a higher degree of fairness than those considered different. Two works of writing look to examine the issues of personal challenges and difficulty with peers in society. Initiation, a fictional short story by Sylvia Plath, examines what those who are different will do to earn prestige in society, while Reaction-Interaction, a personal essay by Diane Kenyon, explores the troubles deaf people face nearly everyday. By comparing and contrasting these two pieces, personal challenges in society can be examined and evaluated. In both stories, we can see tendences where the average population looks down on those deemed lesser. In Initiation, the main character of the short story, Millicent, is talking to another girl named Liane who is also going through the initiation process for the sorority. Millicent begins to talk to Liane and the following exchange occurs, "You mean it's just a sort of exclusive social group….". Liane then replied with, "I guess so…though that's a funny way of putting it. But it sure gives a girl prestige value.”(206). This shows that the girls trying to join the sorority are doing so because they believe that without it society will not treat them as well as those belonging to it. They see …show more content…

The harshness of society is a problem that people from all walks of life have to struggle through and adapt to as shown in Initiation. These harsh terms set on people by society dictate how we live our lives as accounted for in Kenyon’s personal essay. Both narratives show conforming to the normal is not needed as others out there exist who share similar experiences or ways of life who one can be with. If anything can be taken out of these two pieces it is that although society can be difficult to survive in without being alienated, it can be changed either through defiance or

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