Pledged. Read it. Trashed it.

[MiAngel711]

The other day I got all four of my wisdom teeth pulled. And to keep me entertained my mother (yey mommies) went out and bought me some books,magazines, etc. And one of the books she broght home was Pledged. While I would never give that woman cent for her trash, I was still compelled to read what she had uncovered that was so shocking. Plus, with rush quickly approaching I feel the need to educate myself on what PNM have been exposed too.

Being a Lit major who flirted with Journalism, I can tell you this "non-fiction" book absolutely suprises me that it was even published. Her research is sketchy at best and is filled with double standards. Even worse, it really is more about the drama in four women's private lives than it is about their involvement in the Greek life. There are more chapters about their boyfriends and cat fights than anything else.

Tri-Delta is mentioned a few times, fortunately nothing scathing is noted, but nothing postive either.

I plan to field all questions in rush about that book with..."If all of that garbage was true, I don't think I, nor any of my sisters, would still be here".

[SSmith15]

I agree with everything you said. I'm also an English major, and her research was shoddy at best. A puff piece is a compliment to this novel (and yes, I call it a novel because that's what I see it as)

[Manda903]

Ugh, okay I am almost finished with it, and it just makes me so mad. I know this thread is a little old, but I just hate to think what some girls who really have no idea what things are like..read this book..and belive this trash.

I totally agree with u, I mean obviously if these people are even real she wasn't with them all the time, so they are second hand accounts..and oh I could go on and on..its just ridiculous!

[dzbubbles83]

Hello ladies, my name is Erin and I am a Delta Zeta from New Orleans, sorry for invading your messgae board. But I just finished reading "Pledged" and I have to totally agree with y'all, this book is nothing but some trashy girl's outside perspective into the greek community. Before she wrote this book she had to have a negative outlook of greek life or why would she pick to write this book? She just found a few girls that she knew were already misreble that were in sororities. But I did find the book quite interesting and I finished very quickley. Well DZ luv to Tri-Delt!!!

[Ocalagirl]

I read the book "pledged" when I did a research paper on sororities. I went to junior college, but have known I wanted to rush since I was 16. I am a legacy to Alpha Xi Delta and Delta Zeta and am rushing this fall at the University of Central Florida. While I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book, I do believe that a lot of facts in the book is wrong. As a potential new member I do not know all the facts of sorority life, I still believe there are many joys to be had by joining a sorority. I recently went to an Alumni Panhellenic meeting and was so excited to see the older women say that they "were XYZ sorority" and not "they used to be in XYZ". It made me realize how much more sororities were than just the college years. Even though this book was good, it did not deter me from wanting to go through recruitment this fall!

[Scandia]

I'm pursuing Alumnae Initiation right now.

I read Pledged recently.

I took it with a grain of salt.

Glad to hear not all sororities are like what was described in the book. I honestly do not think sorority life is all about getting the best looking boys to date and eventually marry you.

[SexySuperstar]

I know that you probably harbor bad feelings about this book but I can say that I know some of the girls in the book and it was true acct of what went on that year for them! So, I wouldn't say it was fluff. I would say it was more like a year in the life of some girls who happened to be Greek!!!

P.S: Sorry for invading your message board!

[Drolefille]

Suggest that you remove the reference and the page number, no need to make it easier to find the few things that she may have actually gotten right in that book. She got a lot of things wrong and showed no respect for privacy or ritual.

[adpiucf]

Sorry to crash!

I read the book when it came out--- It certainly is not a piece of non-fiction. I took it as a narrative/fictional account loosely based on a year in the lives of 4 college students.

I have yet to find a college coed, sorority member or GDI, that does not face pressures from boyfriends, roommates, classmates and family members that leads them to make decisions good or bad, or for them to feel peer pressure or blame something or someone else for influencing their decisions. I don't see this as a sorority thing. This is a "I'm 18-24 year old college student" thing.

Some elements of living in the house and everyone knowing everyone else's business was fairly spot-on. Something that was taken out of context in the book: a member is thinking about breaking up with her BF. She goes and sits in the TV room, which, as we all know, is the most happening spot in the house-- people are hanging around, working out, studying, or walking through. So she gets a survey of opinions: Should I break up with him? I'm not happy... overwhelmingly, the sisters encourage her to break up with him... the book later blames the sorority for encouraging the member to break up with her BF and controls her relationships... How is this scenario any different from me asking my dorm mates or people on a message board to weigh in on any other issue?

[Drolefille]

I agree about the relationship. It seemed to me that her sisters were looking out for her. She either needed to stand up and say, This is what's right for me, or actually listen to their advice.