Please take a minute to grade my essay!

Test Preparation
1

Should people take more responsibility for solving problems that affect their communities or the nation in general?

Every individual that is part of a community is important in some way. Without their opinions and their actions, society may collapse into a brainwashed and oppressed group of people. It is crucial that people take more responsibility when problems arise in order to ensure continued freedom and equality for all. Several examples from history and literature aptly demonstrate this.

In the 1850s, the renowned author Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote a provocative novel that eventually played a huge part in starting a war that would free African slaves. Stowe saw first-hand the brutality of slavery while travelling to Illinois and became greatly indignant. She decided to write “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” in order to galvanize the anti-slavery movement in the North. In the mid 1800s, the debate over slavery was the biggest issue in our nation. Stowe’s tale aroused the Northern’s bitterness of the immoral Southern institution. On the other hand, the South was deeply offended and denounced Stowe because of her fallacious representation of what they perceived as “better” life for slaves. This tension did create even more sectionalistic hostility, but ultimately, blacks were emancipated by the end of the Civil War. One person, Stowe, took on the responsibility of speaking up for what she believed was wrong, and it had a huge impact for the future of African Americans.

Just like how Stowe’s active stance against social injustices proved to be effective in the long run, the protagonist in “Fahrenheit 451” took surreptitious measures to try to change the way of life in his censured community. Guy Montag is a firefighter, but unlike the heroes that they are today, his job in Ray Bradbury’s novel was to burn books. After initially stealing a few books from houses that he would burn, he kept them hidden and began to read them. Montag discovered the possibilities and the knowledge these books contained, and tried to allude to their magic when his wife’s friends came over. Eventually, the tyrannical government finds out about Montag’s indiscretion and sends a monster-machine to kill him. Luckily, Montag runs away and discovered a group of vagrant who store all the books they have read in their mind so that they could transcribe them and bring back books in the future. Montag’s clandestine act of defiance gives hope that his people could be free and knowledgeable in the future.

The potential effects of Stowe’s stirring novel and Montag’s secret resistance bolster the argument that taking responsibility is integral for a society to be devoid of inequalities and corruption. Individuals must not be overly submissive to governments and should instead aspire to take charge and change society for the better.

2

Here’s another one

Most people tend to trust others too readily. To avoid being taken advantage of, however, it is generally wise to be doubtful and suspicious of others’’ motives or honesty. Many people would agree that if you find yourself doubting other people’s sincerity or questioning their intentions, your instincts are probably correct You are less likely to regret being cautious than being too trusting.

Is it wise to be suspicious of the motives or honesty of other people, even those who appear to be trustworthy?

Lying is part of human nature, whether it be little white lies or purposeful deceit. Therefore, it is wise to be suspicious of the motives of other people in order to protect oneself from possible destruction. Several examples from literary works aptly demonstrate the need to be circumspect.

In the French film, “Le Retour de Martin Guerre” (The Return of Martin Guerre), the people who questioned if Martin was an imposter or not saved themselves from Martin’s plan to steal from them. This recreation of a true story set in the Renaissance period shows Martin Guerre coming home after mysteriously disappearing eight years ago. At first, most villagers elatedly welcomed him home, but suspicious soon started to surface. His wife, Bertrande, doubted whether it really was the husband she married, who constantly neglected her. This “Martin” seemed to lovingly take of her. Additionally, Pierre Guerre, Martin’s uncle, became wary when “Martin” asked for the money his land received during his absence. These suspicions resulted in a trial which ultimately proved “Martin” as a charlatan. He was subsequently hanged, and thus Bertrande remained chaste and Pierre protected him and his family from attempted fraud. It was only through the prudence of these two close family members that exposed the deceit or “Martin” and safeguarded their property and property.

On the other hand, those who trust others too readily will fall victim to the harmful intentions of others. The female protagonist in Charlotte Gilman’s short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” is blind to her husband’s true purpose of locking her up in an isolated summer house. She knows she has some sort of sickness which her husband, a doctor, has diagnosed as a nervous condition. However, she naively believes that wandering in an old abandoned house all day will help her heal like John, her husband, promised. Her biggest concern is that John does not allow her to write because he feels that it causes her to fall into tumult, even though writing is what she loves. She never once doubted the true intention of her solitude, which was to enforce male superiority. Thus, she turns delusional and reverts back to primitive crawling, eventually becoming a monster. If she had been more cautious and discerned why John really locked her in that room with the horrify wallpaper, she could have freed herself and actually return back to normal conditions.

The prudence exercised with Martin Guerre and the complete blindness of the woman in “The Yellow Wallpaper” validates the claim that suspicion is critical to protection from the evil motives of others. It is imperative that people carry a minute amount of distrust in them wherever they go.

All feedback is greatly appreciated!

3

bump you only have to read one if you want

4

These are both good (though the second one gets a little too bogged down in details), but an important thing to note is that the highest-scoring SAT essays usually have three examples. Quantity over quality is the rule for this test!
Good luck!

5

The comment above is accurate, although both quality and quantity are helpful. However, a two example essay that fills up both pages can easily be better than a 3 example essay that is not as insightful or well-written. Your essay both score double digits. Well done.