<p>I was just wondering how accurate the e-rater software is from college board. Do you really believe this essay merited a 12? Or is the score merely based on the length of the essay? Thanks!</p>
<p>Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below
A person does not simply "receive" his or her identity. Identity is much more than the name or features one is born with. True identity is something people must create for themselves by making choices that are significant and that require a courageous commitment in the face of challenges. Identity means having ideas and values that one lives by.
Adapted from Thomas Merton, Contemplation in a World of Action
Assignment:
Is identity something people are born with or given, or is it something people create for themselves? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.</p>
<p>The desire to fit in often drives a person to change aspects of him or herself. Society's attitude towards those that are different forces this desire, and as a result, many people create new identities based on what they believe are the social norms. This is a prevalent idea in literature, namely in The Great Gatsby, where a man builds a decadent empire around this concept. In addition, with the prevalence of pop culture, the desire to fit in can be even greater. Many of those who could have had great futures were pulled down by a desire to be "normal," however, they could never escape their innate identities.<br>
In Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby, Gatsby appears to be a charismatic and successful man. However, his entire being is a facade, a mere "identity" that he has created in order to fit in. He is actually the son of a poor man, a stigma which he believes has haunted his entire life. Gatsby believes that he can only achieve his ultimate goal, marrying his lifelong love, Daisy, if he is rich and successful. Although Gatsby is able to achieve wealth and notoriety, he cannot escape his true identity. The rich people can see through Gatsby's facade no matter how lavishly he lives, or how successful he is. In the end, his attempt to change his identity ultimately leads to his death. This shows that even the most extreme attempts to change oneself can prove to be futile and our identities remain with us from birth.
In a more modern example, Rick Rosner, the man with the highest IQ in the world, physically tried to create a new identities for himself. As a teenager in a small town, he was well known for his intelligence. However, he was always insecure about the fact that he could not get a girlfriend. As a result, he broke into his school to change all of the grades on his high school transcript. This marked the beginning of his life long obsession to fit in. When the people in his town were not convinced that he was "normal", he ran away and joined another school. Rick ultimately went to and completed high school four times in order to escape his "identity" as a smart guy. Unfortunately, he realized that he could not, and stopped, at an age well above that of a college graduate. In an attempt to change his identity, Rick Rosner, possibly the brightest mind in the world, wasted his youth on changing an inescapable identity.
A person's identity is as much a part of them as any body part is. Any attempt to change or alter the identity ultimately results in pain and failure.</p>