<p>This is the SAT I wrote for the December SAT and I'm curious to see how the score you give compares to the score I received.</p>
<p>PROMPT: Is acting an essential part of everyday life?</p>
<p>ESSAY:
Throughout history, people have found it necessary to act in a histrionic manner, be it an exaggeration of the truth or a complete lie. Some would argue that it can prove beneficial to stretch the truth, but both Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and the Watergate scandal prove the value of emotional honesty. Though it can appear acceptable to assume a false role, this is a myopic approach. It is always best to be truthful and avoid acting whenever possible.</p>
<p>Throughout Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck is frequently forced to choose between being honest and fabricating informations to protect his or his companions' interests. Time and again, Huck resorts to playing a role and telling like, but these lies always come back to hurt him. When Huck is at the Wilkses' home, he becomes wrapped up in an elaborate scheme to cheat three orphans out of their estate. Huck assumes a false identity and plays along at first, but he soon realizes that what he is doing is wrong. Ultimately, he decides to abandon this plot and be true to himself by exposing the frauds. Huck chooses to act again at the Phelps' home further down the river, taking on the identity of his best friend Tom. This, too, ends badly, as Aunt Polly grows suspicious and properly identifies Huck. His acting angers Aunt Sally greatly, proving once again that it is of the most value to avoid acting, no matter how beneficial it might seem.</p>
<p>Similarly, the Watergate scandal proves again the value of being honest. President Nixon ordered his opponents' documents to be stolen, an injustice by any account, but he could have been redeemed somewhat by coming clean. Instead, Nixon chose to lie about it and conceal the plot in order to protect his image. This malevolent act proved to be a poor decision, as Nixon was exposed not only as a cheat but a liar and a fraud and faced impeachment for this breach of honesty. The scandal taught Nixon that despite how appealing it might seem, acting is a poor decision, and is never the proper solution or tool to gain an advantage.</p>
<p>Both Huckleberry Finn and president Richard Nixon were forced to learn the detrimental quality of acting through experience, when their falsehoods were exposed and they suffered the repercussions. People all too frequently turn to acting and deceit when the truth appears too difficult to face and deal with. However, the world would be a much more cohesive and honest place if people, instead of assuming a role, chose to be themselves. Acting, therefore, is far from an essential part of life. It is, quite conversely, one of the most detrimental problems society faces.</p>
<p>Wow, it seems so much worse in hindsight, but I'm curious as to your opinions.</p>