Initiation

Millicent struggles throughout the story with the benefits and drawbacks of either being accepted into an in-group (the sorority) or remaining independent but (in her estimation) isolated. At first, she wants nothing more than to belong, reflecting that it would be “rather exciting to be part of a closely knit group, the exclusive set at Lansing High” (241). She believes, until late in the story, that she needs this kind of acceptance to feel connected to others—a belief the story implies is driven by insecurity.

Correctly or not, Millicent feels isolated from others. She views herself as having been “shy” until quite recently, and though she has a friend, Tracy, the tacit acceptance involved in that relationship does not satisfy her need for validation. More than belonging to a group per se, Millicent wants others to recognize that she belongs. She daydreams about the public hazing because “everybody would know, even the boys would know, that she was one of the elect” (241), and she is pleased to think that someone watching her and Louise talking to one another might assume that they are good friends. Because Millicent is unsure of her own worth, she relies on others’ perceptions to reassure her of her place in the world.