<p>The original prompt was from an actual SAT test, so I don't think I can post it =/
Anyways, rate it on a scale of 12, pl0x.</p>
<p>Self-improvement is a global ideal that is crucial for the growth of society and its people. Various examples from history and literature document the success of self-improvement in improving relations and personal values.
History informs the American populace of the moral pursuits of B. Franklin; Franklin was a popular proponent of the perfectability of man. In addition to his pursuits of higher education (UPenn) and science (Franklin Stove and lightning rod), Franklin developed his own quest for moral perfectability, developing a list of fourteen testements. Of these testements include Cleanliness (cleanliness is next to godliness, claims Franklin) and Temperance. Franklin claimed that this quest for moral improvement improved his relations with his siblings and with his fellow countrymen. Benjamin Franklin was among the first to demonstrate this American ideal, and his ideas are reflected in the teachings of American Literature, and became rooted in American History. Henry David Thoreau developed a similar response to morality as a key icon of the Transcendenalist Era, and John Steinback affirms the importance of this drive for self-improvement. In Steinbacks Nobel award-acceptance speech in 1980, he claims that the strive for personal improvement and human perfectability is a keystone to American Literature. Franklins quest is well-reflected in American History, and highlights the American ideal that self-improvement can elic it genuine improvement in oneself.
As the John Steinback class Grapes of Wrath demonstrates, conditions and forces working against the Oakies populace demand a reflection of ones motives. In a flash flood in California, the Joads struggle to nuture Rose of Sharon as she gives birth. The adult males of the story go into the storm to build a dam, yet Rose still gives birth to a still born. Working against the corrupt police, the dust bowl, and hate and fear directed towards the dehumanized Oakies, Rose of Sharon still refuses to give in. In a barnhouse, she offers her breast to a dying man. This illustrates a central theme of I to We in the novel, as the reader realizes the important shift from selfishness to communal love and care. The reader realizes how this personal shift creates a thriving atmosphere for the Joad Family and the migrant farmers. Self-Improvement is not only crucial, but central, to progress.</p>