Today's Objective:
Students will read and analyze Sylvia Plath's "Initiation" in order to explore how figurative language can reveal author's purpose.
Today's In-Class Reading Assignment:
"Initiation," by Sylvia Plath
Click here to read this text online
Today's Lesson Notes:
Tonight's Homework:
What is the significance of the heather birds metaphor at the conclusion of this story? Post your comments in a BCR at the foot of this blog entry in a five-sentence BCR by the start of next class.
(BCRs must contain five complete sentences. No partial credit is awarded)
I think the Heather Birds represent the popular girls. At the end of the story they were all the same and were happy in front of people but when they were alone they were sad and lonley. Millicent wanted to be unique and decided to be on her own and be in her own special flock. She still wanted to be friends with the other girls but not be with them. Heather Birds are supposed to be unique and different and comparing the girls to Heather Birds just showed that they weren't what they were appeared to be.
ReplyDeleteDe'Shaun Walker
3B
That is a bad opinion
DeleteHey, De'Shaun that was actually a really deep analysis and I honesty think it was spot on.. Your opinion is NOT by any means a "bad" opinion... In MY book there are NO bad opinions.
Delete- Chloe Smith
the opinion was fucking dogshit fuck u
DeleteErnisha Beverley 3B
ReplyDeleteThe significance of the heather birds’ metaphor is to show how unique heather birds are opposed to sparrows which are all exactly the same. This is a metaphor because it is comparing the sparrows to Millicent, who wants to follow everyone else and the heather bird to Tracy, who wants to stand out and be her own person.
yolo swag
Deleteswag
Deletebish, yo trippin
Deleteong
DeleteDexter Heath
ReplyDelete9-21-11
3B
The significance of the heather birds metaphor at the conclusion of this story is that it shows individuality. In the short story "Initiation" Millicent is struggling to find out where she belongs. Millicent decides that does not want to be a sparrow like everyone else in the sorority.
She chooses to be like a heather bird different from everyone else. Sylvia compares heather birds and sparrows as a metaphor.
I think the heather birds could be a metaphor representing the individual personalities each character has. For example, they guy that eats the "heather birds eyebrows" could mean that he just eats something NOBODY else eats for breakfast. He could be from a different area. It all depends on the point of view. Each character has a different "heather bird". Bev and all the other in the sorority don't even share the same personality. Bev is really mean and bossy. The other girls, as far as I know, are nicer.
ReplyDeleteAlexis McCoy 3B ^
ReplyDeleteCarlito Martin 3B I think the significance of the heather bird metaphor at the conclusion of the story is to show the difference of being a heather bird and sparrows.For example in the story millicent wanted to follow everyone else.She was new and wanted to fit in.But sooned relizes she rather be independent like a heather bird.Instead of being all the same like the sparrows.
ReplyDeleteOh ok
DeleteLunDen Charlton
ReplyDeleteThe importance of the heather birds was how different they supposedly are. No one has heard of a heather bird possibly because everyone is following their own 'flock' of 'birds'. Millicent realizes that instead of being set apart from the rest of the school like she wanted, she was really just moving into a different flock. She wanted to be unique, something no one else was, what the heather bird is. She understood at the end that the only thing that set this exclusive group apart from the others was that they were a different type of people. But unique means one of a kind and that group had 4 of a kind and more. A heather bird is its own and that's what she decided to be.
swag yolo 420 doritoscope
DeleteThe significance of the heather birds’ metaphor is to show how unique heather birds are opposed to sparrows which are all exactly the same. This is a metaphor because it is comparing the sparrows to Millicent, who wants to follow everyone else and the heather bird to Tracy, who wants to stand out and be her own person. -Bryce Davis
ReplyDeleteI think the significance of the heather birds metaphor at the conclusion of this story shows the comparison of how different heather birds and sparrows are.Heather birds are their own individual person unlike a sparrow.In the story Millicent was a sparrow when she spoke to the old man but at the end of initiation she realized she didnt need the sorority. Millicent became her own person after realizing what a heather bird was. The comparison of heather birds and sparrows was a metaphor which explained the story.
ReplyDeleteAaliyah Baker 3B
The significance of the heather birds metaphor at the conclusion of this story is to show that it's ok to be your own unique individual. For example in the story Millicent wanted to be like the other girls at first to fit in. She also wanted to follow the other girls as well. Soon Millicent learned that you can be your own person and like it. So she started her own initiation of being herself. By: Candace Wyman 3B
ReplyDeleteKendra Lawson 3B
ReplyDeleteThe significance of the heather birds metaphor at the conclusion on the story is to show individuality.In the story Millicent wanted to be like the other girls in the sorority. Sort of like a sparrow,all the same. But heather birds are different birds. When Millicent met the man on the bus I think he made her realize that everyone isn't the same and doesn't have to be the same and i think Millicent realized that at the conclusion of the story. So the metaphor is comparing something that is the same "sparrows" to something different "heather birds". The girls in the sorority were all the same like sparrows and when Millicent realized she wanted to be different she became the heather bird at the end of the story.
I think the metaphor is used to show how people are different. Millicent was the new girl at the school and she just wanted to fit in and have friends. So she can meet new people she decided to try to join the sorority. After she was use to her surrounding she finally realized how the people were like how they referred to the girls as 'gophers' so she decided to be different. Millicent got tired of being a 'sparrow' so she decided to be a 'heather bird' which means she wanted to become her own person by starting her own sorority/initiation of being 'yourself'.
ReplyDeleteDeondre Johnson 3B
i think the metaphor for the "heather birds" shows they are different. the "heather birds" were different unlike the sparrows, which were all the same. in the beginning of the story Millicent was like a sparrow, she wanted to be in the in crowd. Later she realized that it was better to be herself and not like everyone else. The man on the bus taught her that she didnt need anyone else, making her deceide that she would go alone making her not like the other girls who were consider as "sparrows".
ReplyDelete*the one above is Morgane' Talbert.!!
ReplyDeleteI think the heather birds represent the popular girls. They are always together, always united and being mean as a team to the rest of the people. They are also all the same and are not unique since they all want to be like each other. The girls are nothing without each other, for they lose all of their power being by themselves, and not being part of the group everyone looks up to. They feel that fitting in is the only way they can stand out.
ReplyDeleteBrenda Almenar
The significance of the heather birds is used to show how people are different . Millicent wanted to fit in lilt the rest of the girls because they were cool and popular. Than she realized that it was better to be her self & to be different just like the heather birds. Instead of being like the rest of the "gophers". A metaphor was used to compare the heather birds to a sparrow to show how all the other girls were alike like a sparrow , but Millicent wanted to be her own person like the different sounds the heather birds made.
ReplyDeleteTarsha Palmer 3B
I think the significance of the ''heather birds'' metphor is to show the unique characteristics of each one of the girls. Millicent wants to fit in with the rest because their cool and popular.But she feels its the right thing to do being to herself.
ReplyDeleteTyana Seth
3b
I believe that the significance of the Heather Birds metaphor is portraying how each girl had their own special song which came together as a beautiful melody. Each of these girls were being made to stand out and all look the same but in reality they each had differences that set them apart completely.Basically describing them as different people and proving that everyone CANNOT be the same. Millicent was one of the few "Heather Birds" who went down her own path and sang her own song, like the passage said she began an initiation of her own. In Conclusion of the passage every "Gopher" was their own person and they poetically all became "Heather Birds" just by being themselves and finding their own melody to sing.
ReplyDeleteBrittney Cunningham
3B
Breanna Service
ReplyDelete3B
I think the metaphor "heather birds" shows that she wants to be different, instead of being the same like the sparrows. In the beginning Millicent just wanted to fit in. Later in the story she realized it was better to stand out and be different. The man on the bus taught her to be different, than to try and fit in. The metaphor comparing heather birds and sparrows, the sparrows being the girls who are all alike and the heather birds being different and at the end of the story Millicent realized it was better to stand out than to fit in .
I think the significance of the heather birds metaphor at the conclusion on the story is used to show diffect people act and what there true colors are. Millicent was the new school girl jus trying to fit in with the crowd. So she joined this little group to make friends. Millicent would do anything to fit in with these group of people. She went around on the school bus asking what peole like to eat for breakfast, because the group told her to do so. When she started to realize how really peole act she started not hanging out with them anymore and just be herself.
ReplyDeleteSharron Spence
3B
In the conclusion of the story, I think that the heather bird metaphor was describing Millicent. Heather birds are described as unique, beautiful, care-free birds who are different than the others, unlike sparrows which all look the same. Millicent was once a sparrow when she wanted to fit in with the crowd by joining a sorrority. She later realized that she was her own person, free to do whatever she wanted without the restictions of someone making rules for her to follow. At the end of the story Millicent became a "heather bird" when she realized that she didn't need the sorrority to give her popularity, she could just be herself.
ReplyDelete-Yhanni Wade 3B
I believe the metaphor "heather birds" in the short story "Initiation" symbolizes the importance of being yourself. In the beginning of the story Millicent was trying to be the same like sparrows, she wanted to fit in with the others. Later on in the story, a man she met on the bus taught her that being different was not as bad as she thought. The sparrow represents conformity and the heather birds show individuality. At the end Millicent chose to stand out instead of being a follower.
ReplyDeleteZakwoiyah Marshall
3B
I think that the metaphor ''heather birds'' in the story symbolizes how each of the girls have their own song, which leads to a sweet melody. in the beginning of the the story Millicent was trying to be like the sparrows, and she wanted to be fit in with the others. but the man that she met on the bus taught her that being different was not bad as she think it is. Millicent later realized that she can do whatever she wanted to do without the permission or the control of someone, of what she wanted to be and to do. at the end of the story Millicent became a ''heather bird''when she realized that she didn't need the sorrority to give her popularity, that she could just stand by herself and be who she wanna be as a person.
ReplyDeleteChrizelle Cate Dimamay
3B >:D<
I think that the metaphor heather bird was used to show someone being themselves. Like the girl Millicent was realizing that she had to stand out and be her self. At first she just wanted to be like the "cool kids" and fit in no matter what she had to do. But later she noticed that she shouldnt have to be bossed around or tested to be or feel cool or popular. Heather birds ard unlike and other bird they stand out because they are themselves and don't just try to fit in.
ReplyDelete-Christian Twyman 3B
In the story "Initiation" the metaphor "Heather Birds" refer to the popular girls. In the story they all acted somewhat similar, as if they where all happy. But the reality of the situation was most of them where not happy at all with themselves. Millicent deceided that she wanted to stand out, and be her own person. Just like heather birds are unique, so is she for making the decision she did.So comparing the girls to Heather Birds at the end of the story was just simply showing that they all weren't as they appeared to be.
ReplyDeleteAyana Holt
3B
I think that the significance of the heather birds metaphor at the conclusion of this story is to distinguish each character's personality as an individual and how being labeled as something could change this.The metaphor is used to show how different and almost better being a heather bird is where you can roam about freely rather than a sparrow who are just alike.In the story Millicent was having a hard time trying to figure out where she belongs.Then she decides to be a heather bird when she realizes that they can talk to other people and be friends with them while still maintaining their own independence and being alone and that it is okay to be different and that everyone is not the same after talking to the boy on the bus. In the beginning Millicent is more like a sparrow trying to fit in with the group of friends while her friend Tracy was more like a heather bird.
ReplyDeleteKelli Johnson 3B
Joshua Simmons
ReplyDeleteThe significance of the heather birds metaphor at the conclusion of this story is showing that she did'nt just want to be the same as everyone else. She wanted to be diffrent and show people the real her and not the girl everyone expect her to be. I believe the old man helped her realize that it is okay to be diffrent and not to be a follower or be apart of the in crowd to be happy. Also when she asked everyone on the bus what they ate for breakfast she notice that all of them did'nt have the same thing which is showing that evryone is not the same. Now she realize that it is okay to be diffrent and that nobody can change that.
Lauren McMillan 3B
ReplyDeleteThe heather bird metaphor represents the importance of individuality. The popular girls and those who want to be like them are all the same. There is nothing special or extraordinary about the plain, uniformed flock of birds the popular girls have come to be. The heather bird stands out with it's beautiful, bright, purple feathers. The uniqueness of this bird is what makes it more amazing than the rest. Milicent is the heather bird. She is following her own mind, setting her apart from the crowd.
In the the metaphor of heather birds Millicent came to a realization about being popular. she goes on to express the way she feels through the heather bird phrase. Millicent is the heather bird and as that bird soars into the the vast spaces of air,while their wings flashing quick and into the purple bright sun.According to the phrase Millicent is also finding her way realizing that being popular isnt all tht its cracked up to be. this meta phor also shows signs of imagery through out this phrase such as the "bright purple sun.
ReplyDeleteAustin McKelphin 3b
Imanie Hancock 3B
ReplyDeleteI believe the term "Heather Birds" is used to describe the characters with individuality.In the story,Millicent is trying to find out where she fits in. But she joins a "clique" for the wrong reasons.She only joins to fit in.She also was limiting herself and holding back.Basically a heather bird is the opposite of what Millicent is. A heather bird is established and confortable with being themselve, unlike the sparrows. Millicent was a sparrow while Tracy was similar to a Heather Bird.
I think that "heather birds" is a metaphor used to symbolize uniqueness, individuality, happiness, joy, and beauty. In the story "Initiation", this metaphor has a profound effect on the main character of the story named Millicent. Millicent is a teen aged girl that wants to be part of the popular group of girls at her school. This group of girls has qualities of a an exclusive society and they pride themselves on having one singular image. (example: All members of the group are expected to wear certain clothing on some days and are expected not to wear certain clothing or hair styles on other days.) Millicent was one of the chosen few invited to become part if the group. But to become part of the group you needed to fit the group's image and Millicent(in the beginning of the story)was willing to change herself to fit in. The metaphor "heather bird" makes a comparison between birds that all look and act the same, such as sparrows, and birds that are different from the others of it's species. this metaphor pertain to Millicent in that, at the beginning of the story she wanted to be like the popular girls, but by the end of the story she realized that what she really wanted was to be able to be her self. Millicent realized that she wanted to be a "heather bird" and through this we find the significance of the metaphor. the metaphor is used to mark a major changing point in the views of the main character, and is also use to convey the moral of the story to the reader.
ReplyDeleteMalik Powell
3B :P
I didn't realize I typed so much...sorry...
ReplyDeleteMalik Powell
Jamil Ahmed
ReplyDelete"Heatherbird" is used as a metaphor by the old man to describe Millicent. She is unique, she doesn't behave like the other girls in the group would behave. Seeing as the old man is old, he has probably experienced other girls who have come to him, doing the same thing Millicent had to do for Beverly. Millicent is probably the first girl he has seen to genuinely listen and care about what he has to say. He was trying to also stress to her that she should just be who she is and should not try to follow the "Sparrow".
Thourghout the story Millicent was trying to fit in, and be one of the "flock", or, the popular girls. The "flock" was the sorority in which all the girls were the same, described as "sparrows". An old man Millicent encountered noticed that she wasn't the same as the other girls, and she shouldn't try to be. He described her as a "heatherbird", beautiful and unique on her own. She shouldn't try to be like anyone else, she's fine the way she is. She should just be herself. Throughout the story, Millicent was coming to realize that being popular wasn't all the great; fitting in wasn't too fun either; and all she had to be was herself.
ReplyDelete-Makeda Harkins
3B
He Used heather birds at the end to compare the girls.He used it to show/describe how they are and their personality.He compared milicent to a heather bird because she was unique unlike the other girls.At the end she realizes that being popular isn't everything.He also compared the other girls to sprrows because they all were alike and that's how the other girls were.
ReplyDeleteKayla Williams
Layanni Cobbs 3B said...
ReplyDeleteI think that the significane of the heather birds metaphor is that it is describing what millicent and the other girls wants so badly. What they want so badly and is to be in this group and are putting themselves through a degrading and stressfil initiation. For example in the book To Kill A Mockingbird, the mockingbirds were a metaphor to describe harmless people. Also i believe it is a spiritual force, good force. Heatherbirds describes the girls in various ways in the story. For example in the story it says that the heatherbirds are "...strong and proud in their freedon and their sometime loneliness". My opinion is that the girls feel lonely during the initiation. Towards the end of the story Millicent said that the worst and hardest part of the initiation was that she figured herself out, and then she thought she heard the song of the heatherbirds so i thought they must have been watching her.
The whole concept behind the heather birds metaphor is comparing heather birds to sparrows. Millicent, who is the new girl in school wants to be a sparrow and fit in and be like everybody else opposed to wanting to be a heather bird and be her own person and to be a leader. In the story Millicent is getting fed up with Beverly, the mean girl, bossing her around and telling her who to be and who to talk to...etc. Then later in the story she finds out what it really means to be a true heather bird.
ReplyDeleteTiara Gordon 3B ^^^^^^
ReplyDeletenjbjbj
ReplyDeletelmao how did i get here
ReplyDelete