June 2009 SAT topic:
Assignment: Do we
benefit from learning about the flaws of people we admire and respect?
Do THIS and you will
get a 15, not a 12!!! Love, Kweller Prep Tutoring
Answer:
Paragraph 1
Sometimes, the same people who we
admire may have flaws that make them less than admirable. Nonetheless,
sometimes we learn more by being conscious of people’s flaws than from what
makes them venerable. It has been noted by a prominent writer that, “The
discovery that someone we admire has done something wrong is always disappointing
and disillusioning… Yet, even when people we consider heroes have been
tarnished by their faults, they are no less valuable than people who appear
perfect….great ideas and great deeds come from imperfect people like ourselves.”
Examples to support this are found throughout famous literary works. One
illustration is in the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by
protuberant author Mark Twain. In this narrative, the protagonist learned from
the flaws of his father, thus leading him to become less like him in the
future. Another classic illustration is in the tale, The Scarlett Letter,
by legendary author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Here again, a child acknowledges the
flaws of her mother and is determined to never repeat them herself. Both
paradigms elucidate examples where children benefit from learning about the
flaws of the same people they were meant to look up to.
Paragraph 2
In the
novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by famous author Mark Twain,
the protagonist, Huckleberry Finn is an adolescent boy who is raised in a
conservative Southern Society. The town where he was raised was St. Petersburg
Missouri, a modest community, filled with G-d fearing church-goers, children
with nearly perfect school attendance, and clean tree-lined suburban homes and
streets. However, the family of Huckleberry Finn is nothing like the norm in
his community. Huckleberry Finn’s father,
“Pap” Finn, was the town drunk, and beat him regularly while his mother was
nowhere to be found. While a child
intuitively admires and respects his dad, and a parent is generally a role
model, Huckleberry Finn benefitted greatly from observing the flaws of his
abusive father. In fact, in one scene,
Huck had to fake his own death to escapes from Pap’s incessant physical abuse,
killing a pig and spreading its blood all over the cabin. Consequently, Huck
learned to be nothing like his father when he grows up, and as such, by
observing Pap’s flaws at a young age, he was able to benefit from them.
PARAGRAPH 3
Another instance in a novel where a character benefits from
observing the flaws of someone who she admires and respects is in The
Scarlett Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the protagonist, Hester Prynne,
decided to pursue a forbidden courtship, committing adultery and ultimately
having a child out of wedlock with the once esteemed Reverend Arthur
Dimmesdale. Hester was to wear the Scarlett Letter “A” to remind her of the sin
she had committed. Pearl, Hester Prynne’s daughter, realized the turpitude that
her mother committed. Again, while a parent is generally someone who a child
admires and respects, Pearl learns immensely her mother’s flaws. In fact, it is
Pearl who provides the harshest, and most penetrating, judgment of her mother.
PARAGRAPH 4
In
conclusion, literary works support the notion that sometimes, benefits are
derived from learning about the weaknesses of individuals who are praised,
commended, and much-admired. As expressed in the first example, The
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by prominent author Mark Twain, a child can
learn greatly from the flaws of his father.
Additionally, in the literary work, The Scarlett Letter, by
legendary author Nathaniel Hawthorne, a daughter acknowledges the flaws of her
mother. In both instances, the children made the decision not to follow in
their parents’ footsteps. Both children benefited
by learning about the flaws of their parents and resorted to not repeat them.
Paragraph
1:
THESIS
STATEMENT (Taken from assignment)
QUOTE the
BOX (do a “…” to connect the BUT statement
Introduce
Example 1
Introduce
Example 2
Restate
Thesis
Use
plenty of transitions, variety in sentence structure, and be CLEAR
Paragraph 2
Restate Thesis
Only focus on Example 1
CONNECT ex 1 CLEARLY to thesis
Restate Thesis
Use
plenty of transitions, variety in sentence structure, and be CLEAR
Paragraph
3
Restate Thesis
Only focus on Example 1
CONNECT ex 1 CLEARLY to thesis
Restate Thesis
Use
plenty of transitions, variety in sentence structure, and be CLEAR
Paragraph
4
THESIS
STATEMENT (Taken from assignment) statement
Re-Introduce
Example 1
Re- Introduce
Example 2
Restate
Thesis
Use
plenty of transitions, variety in sentence structure, and be CLEAR
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