<p>It's from the 2011 edition of the Princeton Review. It's my first try at a timed SAT essay. Any grading/criticism/advice would be a huge help :]</p>
<p>Thanks in advance</p>
<p>As Leo Tolstoy said in War and Peace, "... great men are labels giving names to events, and like labels they are but the smallest connection with the event," average people and their actions do impact history. It is when, with their actions change and inspiration are created at which point the average person becomes a great. With examples littered throughout history and modern day, it is clear that many ordinary people, through their actions become great.</p>
<p>Pick any book from the throes of great literature and behind it is a pertinent example of how ordinary people can affect history on a colossal scale. For example, who though that as a child, Adolf Hitler would rise to become one of the most influential figures in modern history. This ordinary child would later in life pen Mein Kampf and spawn a tragic genocide as well as World War II in which millions of people would die. By the actions of this 'ordinary person,' history on a massive scale was changed forever, impacting enumerable lives.</p>
<p>Behind the story of the most great men, is one that is not so different than you and I. These great movers and shakers all began as ordinary people. Through their actions, society has been molded and history made. Most people are born equal and it is through their own actions that their character and intentions speak, elevating them to the status of greats.</p>