<p>And I'll grade back if you wish.</p>
<p>Anyway, I'm usually confident enough in my writing to not post most of my essays here but this one has got me really stumped.</p>
<h2>How do I deserve an 8? And that is not a good thing D: Not to sound arrogant...but I was expecting a little higher.</h2>
<p>The topic is: "Do circumstances determine whether or not we should tell the truth?"</p>
<p>My essay:</p>
<p>Yes, circumstances determine if we should tell the truth. We have been brought up with constant reminders of Dont Lie, but absolutely everybody has told a lie or at least concealed the truth before. Why? Because humans beings operate more strongly on emotions than on facts, so white lies are sometimes needed in order to bring happiness, relieve tension or mend relationships. Moreover, there are cases in which the truth must be hidden for the greater good, such as for the sake for saving innocent lives. </p>
<p>In the film, Life is Beautiful, a touching story is weaved about the life of a Jewish Italian, Guido during the period of the Holocaust. When Guido and his son were sent to a concentration camp, Guido invented various lies about life in the concentration camp, even going so far as to translate the German officers words into childish gibberish in order to protect his son from the true horrors of the massacre. In the end, even as Guido walked past his son on the way to the gallows, he danced to assure his son that he was going to be safe. In these extenuating circumstances, is lying not the right thing to do? Guidos concealment of the truth ensured that his son would not lose hope, and it were these lies that eventually guided his son to safety, to survive the Holocaust.</p>
<p>Another example in which lying was acceptable was during the recent killing spree a gunman conducted at a elementary school in Newtown. A teacher hid her 20 students in the classrooms cupboards and died protecting them by lying to the gunman about where they were. Any person with a functional moral compass can see that horrifying consequences had been averted because this teacher chose to lie. Evidently, lying in this situation was not only the better thing to do but also the right thing to do. Lying was courage.</p>
<p>In conclusion, Thomas Aquinas, a renowned philosopher once said that lies that are told in fun or the spirit of being helpful are completely pardonable. He is correct. Certain circumstances dictate that the truth should be hidden, and doing the right thing in these situations is what is more important. </p>
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<p>Can somebody help me? I'm not saying that I definitely deserve to score higher, but I would like a fresh perspective on what went wrong with this essay and how I could possibly improve. </p>
<p>That said, if you would like me to take a look at your essay, post it below or post the link.</p>