#2
English 11 Essay
Writing Prompt: Compare Millicent and Greg’s transitions from a life of conformity to a life of self-directed independence
People are incredibly complex creatures. Humanity has the ability to do just about anything as long as somebody (or somebody’s) has the will to hold the masses attention. Indeed the very history of the human race is testament to this. Everyone wants someone to follow, to tell them what to do, to tell them what is right and what is wrong. It is animal instinct to keep things simple, to keep complications such as thinking out of the equation. To merely react. But we are not animals, we are human. Eventually a person will stop playing the sheep and vie for the position of the “Shepherd”. In a society such as ours where the position of the “leader” is held collectively by an entity known as “government” the idealistic sheep is often viewed as an outcast. The characters Millicent and Greg (from the short stories ‘Initiation’ and ‘Brother Dear’) both struggle with the burden of awareness and the knowledge that sometimes self-preservation isn’t worth the virtues that must be sacrificed.
At the start of the two stories both characters are revealed to be initially (ha-ha) shy. By the time the plot comes to a rather boring halt (sorry but I like a little drama) Millicent and Greg have been shown to have had almost the exact same problem and almost the exact same solution too. The introduction and the conclusion are interesting but it is what happens in between them that is really important for it is there that you will find Millicent and Greg’s differences. Millicent went through a series of unfortunate events that led to her ‘epiphany’. Greg on the other hand had already made his choice when the story started and only revealed to us, the readers, his state of mind. It can be theorized that Greg underwent a transformation similar to Millicent’s in the past. From this it can be assumed that Millicent would later be of a similar disposition. Though this is just conjecture and there are obvious holes in the logic like Millicent being of a younger age and differing circumstances, it’s still worth some thoughtful discussion. Perhaps by the time Millicent came to be Greg’s age she would have found enough wisdom to soften the blow, so to speak, on those who care for her and maybe even convince them that her path was the right one for her. Doing so would definitely keep her relationships more light-hearted then Greg’s were.
Another major difference between them is how their decisions affected the people around them. In science-fiction there is something commonly known as the “butterfly effect”. Although it is most-often used in reference to time travelers it fits in perfectly here. Basically the Butterfly Effect is how one seemingly small and insignificant act can lead to major consequences. For example Greg decided to abandon his high-priced education for something that he knew his father would disapprove of. He believed he was doing the right thing, but his father was hurt by his son throwing away the career he had funded. Because Greg’s father was angry and hurt he made things difficult at home which only encouraged Greg’s little sister to act out, even if she made up with him before he left. But now Greg will have associated home with his angry father and will likely avoid returning more vigorously than ever. Millicent on the other hand caused no visible harm to anyone but herself, shouldering the heavy weight of having the most popular people in school becoming her probable enemies. Greg was only following his own path, but he did not consider the effect his actions would have on those who cared for him. Zeal in walking your own path is to be applauded but if you refuse to make a compromise with the people who care for you, to even try, is just selfishness.
The short stories contain a not-quite colourful cast of side characters. In Initiation the side characters have smaller roles then the side characters in Brother Dear however they are more plentiful. Each side character in both stories seems to have only one purpose and that is to advance the plot. The only person who it goes into detail on, the only person asides from the main characters who actually thinks and has a fluctuating environment-adapting personality is Greg’s little sister who is arguably the actual main character of Brother Dear, for everything is seen from her point of view. Even so, her role is unvaluable. The father of the family played the only important role in arguing with Greg until Greg stormed out. A kind of final push for Greg. In Initiation there were three important side-roles: Beverly Mitchell the ‘big sister’, Tracy the ‘best friend’, (who was only ever mentioned) and ‘Mr. Heatherbirds’. Beverly Mitchell was the cause of Millicent’s epiphany with the joined help of the man on the bus and Millicent’s guilty thoughts at leaving Tracy behind. Beverly’s role was in showing Millicent all that was wrong with the sonority and what would come with the popularity. The man on the bus showed Millicent all that was fun with having few restrictions and gave her the ‘push’ she needed to make up her mind. Tracy had a more subtle role. Millicent was plagued by guilty thoughts at having left her friend for popularity from the beginning of the story to the end where she chose to give up on joining the sonority.
By the end of these short stories that are the same and yet different, the protagonists achieved their goal of individuality. Two different ways of going about it and yet the same result. It’s enough to spark to life again the trains of thought. If the situations were reversed would the outcome have been the same? Would Greg still have an unhappy family life? Would Millicent have even wanted to choose to leave the chains of familiarity? The stories ended as they ended so we can only theorize. It’s up to each and every person to select their own path and no matter what it may be, no matter how often it may change and be warped until it is unrecognizable from when you started out it will still be the right path for you because it will be the one you chose. Your path changes with every decision you make. It changes with you.
By Damascius