The short story “Initiation” by Sylvia Plath is a coming of age story about a young girl named Ruth, who is struggling to find her place in the world. The story follows Ruth as she goes through a series of events that lead her to a realization about her place in the world and the implications of her choices. Through these events, the reader is able to observe the resolution of the story and the implied resolution of the story. In this article, we will analyze which excerpt from the story best matches with the implied resolution of the story.
Excerpt Analysis
The story “Initiation” by Sylvia Plath follows a young girl named Ruth as she goes through a series of events that lead her to a realization about her place in the world. One of the most poignant excerpts from the story is when Ruth is in the woods with her friends and she is suddenly overcome with a feeling of insignificance. She says, “I felt insignificant and small. I knew then that I was only a part of something larger than myself, something that had no beginning or end.” This excerpt reflects Ruth’s realization that she is a part of a larger world and she is not the center of it.
Another excerpt from the story that reflects the implied resolution of the story is when Ruth is in the woods again with her friends and she has a moment of clarity. She says, “I knew then that I was part of something larger than myself, something that had no beginning or end. I had to accept the fact that I was not the center of the world, but a part of it.” This excerpt reflects Ruth’s realization that she is not the center of the world and she must accept her place in it.
Implied Resolution
The implied resolution of the story is that Ruth comes to the realization that she is a part of something larger than herself and that she must accept her place in it. This realization is reflected in both of the excerpts mentioned above. In the first excerpt, Ruth is overwhelmed with a feeling of insignificance and she realizes that she is only a part of something larger than herself. In the second excerpt, Ruth has a moment of clarity and she accepts the fact that she is not the center of the world, but a part of it. Both of these excerpts reflect the implied resolution of the story, which is that Ruth comes to terms with the fact that she is a part of something larger than herself and that she must accept her place in it.
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The story of “Initiation” by Sylvia Plath provides a powerful lesson about family and identity. The story follows individual protagonist, the newly announced adult protagonist Ellis, as they travel to a secret lake to take part in a ritualistic “initiation.” Through this journey, Ellis is forced to confront and accept their true identity.
The choice for the correct resolution of this story was clearly outlined by the author. In the very last excerpt of the story, Ellis found a mysterious moment of clarity as they stared out at the lake. Ellis reflected on their journey and accepted that their future was still unpre determined and uncharted, but that was okay. The excerpt reads:
“The lake lay before me like a page of blank silver, the symbol of a future still unrevealed and unpredictable. But that was all right, it was the way it should be. In its silent disc I could trace my own pattern, and there was still more to be done. For now I knew I was utterly a stranger to myself and to the world. But I was also an inauguration, a beginning.”
This passage provides fitting closure to the story and emphasizes the main takeaway. In the story, Ellis embarks on a symbolic journey and discovers an acceptance of themselves and their identity. This moment of introspection and understanding provides a resolution that is both satisfactory and insightful.
In conclusion, the correct matching excerpt from “Initiation” that signifies the resolution of the story is the final passage of the story which reads:
“The lake lay before me like a page of blank silver, the symbol of a future still unrevealed and unpredictable. But that was all right, it was the way it should be. In its silent disc I could trace my own pattern, and there was still more to be done. For now I knew I was utterly a stranger to myself and to the world. But I was also an inauguration, a beginning.”
