My Theory of Literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My Theory of Literacy - Essay Example Computer skills are needed in education as well as in the job. What good an individual that can just read and write do in the contemporary organization in which manual work has been replaced with mechanical work? In the past, individuals with an ability to write and read were considered literate because these two skills sufficed to be employed in any organization, but contemporary organizations are way more demanding. The contemporary definition of literacy is incomplete unless the significance of computer skills is acknowledged and set as one of the criteria for judgment of an individual literacy. Charles Bazerman defined literacy in these words, â€Å"Literacy does not require or inexorably lead to any particular development, but it is a powerful tool available for organizing, extending, providing resources for, and transforming all of our social endeavors† (Bazerman cited in Goggin). Writing is conventionally associated with creativity. Every piece of writing has to be orig inal or it would be considered as plagiarized. Thus, writing is essentially a creation and the writer is an inventor, but Bazerman does not consider such a person necessarily literate. His definition of literacy requires a literate person to be able to organize, promote, support and transform his/her social efforts using his/her literary skills. All of these functions are achieved with a computer these days. Computer helps organize the data. Programs like Microsoft Excel help not only organize the data, but also perform different kinds of functions upon it. Programs like Corel Draw transform imagination into reality. An in-depth analysis of the computer skills suggests that use of computer does a lot to improve a person’s social and critical analysis skills. â€Å"Many contemporary perspectives on literacy view scripted text as one component of complex acts and practices of written communication that occur in social contexts† (Goggin). Modern age is characterized by so cial media. Today, writing has evolved so much that it encapsulates a lot of linguistic styles that were unknown to the writers of the past. Old literature is characterized by formality. Modern literature is informal to the maximum limits. In the past, there used to be abbreviations for long words. Nowadays, there are abbreviations for phrases. For example, â€Å"also known as† is written as â€Å"aka†, â€Å"laughing out loud† is written as â€Å"lol†. These are only two of the hundreds of abbreviations that chatting on social media websites has given birth to. Today, an individual who is able to write but does not understand or use these abbreviations in the scripts is as illiterate as anyone in the past who could not write. These abbreviations and such other modifications of literature are a result of the time-based modification in the assumptions and values of people. Robert Scholes had realized the importance of modern and emerging linguistic pattern s in the writing back in 1985. He expressed his realization in these words: What students need from us . . . now is the kind of knowledge and skill that will enable them to make sense of their worlds, to determine their own interests, both individual and collective, to see through the manipulations of all sorts of texts in all sorts of media, and to express their own views in some appropriate manner. (Scholes cited in Schwartz). Of the two texts, Schwartz has presented a more rational analysis of the concept of literacy by emphasizing upon the need to

Explain a possible message that the author suggests through his story Essay

Explain a possible message that the author suggests through his story - Essay Example or denotes that, â€Å"Bill and himself had a capital of six hundred dollars, and they needed another two thousand dollars to initiate a fraudulent scheme in the town of Western Illinois† (Henry, 9). However, this plan was foiled before it becomes a reality. This story has a hidden message that there is no need of fearing criminals, but we should face them in boldness. Courageously facing criminals is a sure way of preventing the emergence of a crime. This is depicted when the red chief, did not fear the criminals, hence, making desire to abandon their mission of collecting ransom from the father. Sam and Bill initiate a plan of kidnapping Johnny, the red haired son of a prominent citizen by the name of Ebenezer Dorset. The intention of kidnapping this child was to claim for ransom, in order to finance their illegal activities. Initially, it was a good idea for these criminals to kidnap a wealthy child, as it would be a sure way of raising the ransom money. This is depicted when the narrator denotes that, â€Å"It looked like a good idea, but wait until I tell you. We were in Alabama, down South, when this kidnapping idea came up. It was an idea of Bill† (Henry, 11). Through this passage, we are able to find out that the two criminals liked this kidnapping idea. This is because they thought it was the easy way of raising money to engage in their criminal activities. However, as the story unfolds, they find out that they were wrong to target the red haired child of Ebenezer Dorset. This is because they were unable to contain the characters of Johnny, the Red Chief. Johnny, the Red Chief did not fear the criminals who kidnapped him. This is because when they arrived at their cave hideout, Johnny began playing with them. On a normal situation, a child who is kidnapped will begin crying, seeking for his or her parents. This was not the case with Johnny. Johnny begins to drive his captors to distraction with his malicious pranks, unrelenting chatter, and he demands that

Marie Antoinette Essay Example for Free

Marie Antoinette Essay Arias Alma Aguilar Political Science 101 24 September 2012 Marie Antoinette Let them eat cake is probably one of the most recited quotes around the world, which is known to be spoken by the last Queen of France, Marie Antoinette. Although often reffered to as The Party Queen or in other words, the Queen who danced while her people starved. But what many fail to recognize is the fact that Marie Antoinette was the Queen who cared for her people. The only think she cared for more than the welfare of her people, was the welfare of her children. In order for one to understand and have the ability to fully understand the French Revolution, and Monarchy, one must go back and analyze Marie Antoinettes personal background, her political contributions and achievements, and her political influences. Personal Background Marie Antoinette (Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria) was born in Vienna, Austria on November 2nd, 1755. She was the fifteenth child, and eleventh (and last) daughter of the Emperor Francis 1st of Lorraine and Maria Theresa of Austria, at the head of the Habsburg dynasty(Moore 3). Francis 1st died in August 1765, leaving his wife and his elder son to co-rule his empire. To promote diplomatic relationships with France, Marie Antoinette was asked to marry Louis Auguste, the Dauphin of France (Campan 3). With the conclusion of the Seven Years War in 1763, an alliance between Austria and France became a priority for Empress Maria Theresa; cementing alliances through matrimonial connections was a common practice among European royal families at the time. In 1765, the son of French Emperor Louis XV, Louis Ferdinand, died, leaving his 11-year-old grandson Louis Auguste heir to the French throne. Within months, Marie Antoinette and Louis Auguste were pledged to marry each other. A child of only 14 years, delicately beautiful with gray-blue eyes and ash-blonde hair, in May 1770, Marie Antoinette set out for France to be married, escorted by 57 carriages, 117 footmen and 376 horses. On May 16, 1770, Marie Antoinette and Louis Auguste were married. (Campan 6) Louis XV passed away in 1774, and Louis Auguste succeeded him to the French throne as Louis XVI, making Marie Antoinette, at 19 years old, Queen of France(Barker 9). However, as personalities went Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette could not have been more different. He was introverted, shy and indecisive, a lover of solitary pleasures such as reading and metalwork. She was vivacious,outgoing and bold, a social butterfly who loved gambling, partying and extravagant fashions. Political Influences and Development Though many have argued that Marie Antoinette did not have any political development or influences, due to her social and eccentric ways, Marie always referred to someone in her life as the main source of admiration. Her Mother, Queen Maria Theresa, Marie often spoke of her with profound respect, but she based all her schemes for the education of her children on the essentials which had been neglected in her own(Barker 9). Maria Theresa, often was inspired awe by her great qualities, taught the Archduchesses to fear and respect rather than to love her. The Empress was too much taken up with high political interests to have it in her power to d evote herself to maternal attentions. (Campan 8) The queens influence on domestic policy before 1789 has also been exaggerated. Her interference in politics was usually in order to obtain jobs and money for her friends. It is true, however, that she usually opposed the efforts of reforming ministers such as A. R. J. Turgot (1727–1781) and became involved in court scandals against them. ( Moore 12 ) Activities such as the diamond necklace affair, where the queen was accused of having an improper relationship with a wealthy church official in exchange for an expensive necklace, increased her unpopularity and led to a stream of pamphlets and articles against her(Barker 11). The fact that after the birth of her children Marie Antoinettes way of life became more restrained did not alter the popular image of an immoral and extravagant woman. As soon as the arrival of a stranger of rank at Vienna was made known, the Empress brought her family about her, admitted them to her table, and by this concerted meeting induced a belief that she herself presided over the education of her children. Contributions and Writtings From the beginning of the revolution, Marie Antoinette and Louis had hopes for a compromise: in other words, a constitution that would include the monarchy. Trying to re-establish normalcy, Marie Antoinette continued her generous patronage of the poor children of Paris. At the fireworks celebrating the marriage of the young prince and princess in May 1774, there was a stampede in which many people were killed. Louis and Antoinette gave all of their private spending money for a year to relieve the suffering of the victims and their families. (Campan 2)Marie-Antoinettes reputation for sweetness and mercy became even more entrenched in 1774, when as the new Queen she asked that the people be relieved of a tax called The Queens belt, customary at the beginning of each reign. Belts are no longer worn, she said. She also spent as much time as possible with her own children, particularly the dauphin. (Moore, 8). Much of the writings Marie wrote was her diary which is filled with a young gir ls feelings about her arranged marriage. She describes a French Court dominated by intricate rules of etiquette and protocol and excessive attention to fashion and grooming. In her last letter, Marie-Antoinette wrote to her sister-in-law Madame Elisabeth: Happiness is doubled when shared with a friend†¦. † ( Campan 4 )In those words are contained the value she placed on friendship to her happiness. The queen had a great capacity for friendship, although she was not always smart in her choice of companions. Conclusion The story of revolution and resistance in 18th-century France is a complicated one, and no two historians tell the story the same way. However, it is clear that for the revolutionaries, Marie Antoinette’s significance was mainly, powerfully symbolic. She and the people around her seemed to represent everything that was wrong with the monarchy and the Second Estate: They appeared to be tone-deaf, out of touch, disloyal (along with her allegedly treasonous behavior, writers and pamphleteers frequently accused the queen of adultery) and self-interested( Moore 17 ). What Marie Antoinette was actually like was beside the point; the image of the queen was far more influential than the woman herself. Marie Antoinette was the Austrian born child bride of the future King Louis XVI of France. It was an arranged marriage designed to (hopefully) create a better relationship between the two countries which was a common practice by the Monarchy to reduce conflicts and warfare between Nations(Campan 7). The French people resented the Austrian Queen and she was the subject of numerous rumors that she had been planted in Fran ce as a spy, was a spendthrift, was cold, cruel, evil, mean and any number of other charges. In truth, she was a well educated woman with excellent regal poise, she was a well qualified linguist, played the Harp with great versatility, was an accomplished equestrian and was considered to be an excellent mother to her four children. She was put to death during the French Revolution at the age of 37 on 16 October 1793. (Marie Antoinette Biography 3) Marie Antoinette was a symbol of goodness and of everything that was right with the French monarchy. Also as queen, she made many changes that affected Frances system of government and law. Marie had abolished the law of segregated dining spaces, as she felt it was wrong. She had gained popularity with people of France at first with her generosity as she continuosly gave to the poor of Paris. After the Revolution, Marie faced the women who stormed Versailles and when her family and her were forced to live in Paris as prisoners she never lost hope that she would find a way to get out and hold her familys reputation as well as her political career; Even after the Republic was proclaimed in 1792, and her husband was executed. (Barker 5) Despite the tragic outcome of Marie Antoinettes life, she never blamed her people. She remained a devoted mother and wife, although her life as the Queen of France ended in a moments notice. Although many through time have viewed her as a shallow, weak and a self- indulgent person. But through recent years many historians have concluded the opposite; seen more as a lively, misunderstood, and compassionate character. She was a devoted mothe r,making sure her children were well educated, and cherished. And even when she knew her life was coming to an end, she made sure her children were in safe hands. And as Queen, she wanted the best for her people, giving generous donations and contributions to the minority. Marie Antoinette as a person and a friend was quite possibly one of her best traits, marked through history. The Political side of her and her family status was the main source of The French Revolution. She was proud to be french, but in the end all the hopes she had for her country demolished right before her eyes. But as terrible as she might be portrayed in your history books. Marie Antoinette will always be the last Queen France ever had. Bibliography Barker, Nancy. Let Them Eat Cake: The Mythical Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution. Historian (Summer 1993): 709-25. Madame Campan. Memoirs of Marie Antoinette. N. p. : Barker, n. d. Memoirs of Marie Antoinette. Web. 01 Sept. 2012. . Marie Antoinette Biography. Marie Antoinette Biography. N. p. , 01 July 2012. Web. 25 Aug. 2012. . Moore, Marianne. Marie Antoinette. New World Encyclopedia. N. p. , 03 Apr. 2007. Web. 01 Sept. 2012. .

The Contribution of Social, Cultural, and Family Environment to the Dev

Analyse the extent to which the social, cultural and family environment may contribute to the development of eating disorders. Eating disorders have been found through centuries of doctors records. Some as far back as the seventeenth century through Morton (1694) descriptions of the symptoms of eating disorders during this period in time. Despite this eating disorders were only formally known as a disorder until 1980 when it was published in the DSM and more recent editions have shown that there are two different forms of eating disorders which are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. This assignment will discuss how social, cultural and family environment can contribute to the development of these eating disorders and why these factors greatly contribute to the development of these illnesses. The DSM V criteria of anorexia nervosa are refusal to maintain body weight, intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, disturbance in the way in which one sees their true body weight or shape, or denial of the seriousness of weight loss. The criteria for bulimia nervosa are, according to the DSM V, recurrent episodes of binge eating, recurrent use of inappropriate compensatory behaviors to avoid weight again, a minimum average of two episodes of binge eating and two inappropriate compensatory behaviours a week, self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight. Davis and Neale (2001) discovered that anorexia nervosa usually begins in the early to late teens and is ten times more frequent in women than men.According to Stirling and Hellewell (1999) In the UK it is believed that the disorder affects up to 1 percent of adolescent girls. However, the Eating Disorders Association (2000) reviewed that there... ...tween family members and the individual. Although some evidence suggests that individuals feel that they are not understood by their family members and also that their family do not understand why they took the measures they did to develop the disorder can aggravate the disorder. However, not enough evidence is provided to show whether the breakdown in communication was before, during or after the development of the eating disorder and therefore it is unclear whether the family environment can fully contribute to the development of an eating disorder. Works Cited Atkinson, R.L., Atkinson, R.C., Smith, E.E., Bem, D.J. (1990) Introduction to Psychology. 10th edition. HBJ. Gross, R. (2001) Psychology the Science of Mind and Behaviour. 4th edition. Hodder & Stoughton. Turner, L. (2003) Advanced Psychology: Atypical Behaviour.Hodder & Stoughton.

Essay on Mark Twain a+ Grade Essay

Few people across america have not more than once come across the name of Mark Twain, a name spoken throughout the country for the 100 years since his death. Mark Twain is the best example of a great american author, foremost for his book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Few people past the sixth grade have not at least heard of Tom sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, Proving the impact this piece has had on America. Life wasn’t always peachy for Mark Twain though, Born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, Twain went through a cacophony of hardships on his way to fame. His father died when he was only eleven, and he was sent off to apprentice for a printer named Ament. He later got a job as a journalist which got him on his way to becoming an esteemed writer. Life after fame however brought more heartbreak than good with the death of his wife and later his wife. He took much pleasure in his four-legged friends however, and is well know as an avid cat lover. Twain is most well known for his piece The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. It is an american classic, portraying young Tom sawyer and his friend Huck Finn in an adventure, ending in the capture of Injun Joe, a man who murdered the doctor and who had a cave full of treasures. Mark Twain pulls the reader in whilst keeping attention with chapters teeming with action, adventure, suspense and romance. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was followed by The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, an exciting sequel that received just as much if not more praises from readers across america. Some may wonder what possessed Mark Twain as to why he became a writer, when the answer is quite clear. Upon his father’s death in 1846, Young Samuel Clemens was sent off to apprentice for a printer named Ament, in exchange for board and clothing. He then became a typesetter, setting the print for various newspapers in his hometown.He did that for another four years before writing small articles for his brother Orion’s small newspaper. Clemens moved to Nevada and worked as a miner in Virginia City before finding work at the local paper, The Territorial Enterprise, where he first used his pen name. â€Å"Mark Twain† was taken from the steamboat man’s measuring cry that signaled water was deep enough for safe passage. Life after Fame was both sweet and sour for Mark Twain at this point. Though he rarely ever invited visitors into his home, Mark Twain truly enjoyed the company of his cats. It was even noted in an ad from Royal Crown Cola in the 1940’s about Twain’s disposition and his love for his cats. It is stated that he lived with up to nineteen at one time. In 1905 one of Mark Twain’s cats, a big gorgeous black cat named Bambino, ran away and Twain was devastated. He offered a reward seeking the return of his cat. The cat was found by Twain’s secretary. Sadly, Twain’s last years were marked with depression, brought on by the death of a daughter, his wife and close friends. He began his autobiography in 1906, and it is unsure when it was actually finished after its recent discovery. He died of a heart attack on April 21, 1910, in Redding, Connecticut, where he was buried on his wife’s family plot. It is indisputable the impact Mark Twain’s writing has had on society as a whole, his name scattered across america and known by millions. His two most popular books, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn have gone down in history as priceless american classics, and continue to be treasured more than one-hundred years after their creation.Fame and fortune was bittersweet for him however, and though he took much pride and joy in his esteemed feline friends, he went through a period of extreme loss shortly before his own death. It is a well known fact, that Mark Twain has left his mark on American History, and will be remembered for centuries to come.

Causes And Effects Of The Industrial Revolution - 1649 Words

The Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was an extremely significant revolution due to the monumental change into mass production. There were many different causes and outcomes of the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution impacted people and industries all around the world, prompting changes in many societies. For example, the Industrial Revolution initiated in Britain, but eventually found its way to America. After this, it impacted many other countries who desired the same benefits that Britain and America had already acquired. Some of these countries were Belgium and Germany. The Industrial Revolution gave Europe an exceptional amount of economic power. In addition, there were many lifestyle adjustments for people†¦show more content†¦This name was referring to how this manual production was centered on the home. In addition, Britain was a regional country before the Industrial Revolution. This means that people stayed in their hometowns for their work. This was due to the u nderdeveloped transportation in Britain. There was awfully minimal knowledge and information about transportation, which is the reason that there was a very small amount of advances in transportation. Transportation was not widely available because it was only affordable to the wealthy. In addition, it was slow and uncomfortable. Conditions of lives before the Industrial Revolution were unfortunate. Disease was always spreading and taking many lives. Healthcare and medicine were not state-of-the-art or even moderate. There were barely any vaccinations which were widely available. Diseases such as measles, typhus, typhoid, and syphilis took the lives of many individuals. Typhus is a disease caused by infection and is transmitted through lice and fleas. Typhoid is a waterborne disease. Along with this, poverty was a constant problem. This caused an increase in the number of prostitutes in cities. Life in Britain before the Industrial Revolution was unpleasant in many different ways. T he Industrial Revolution commenced in Britain. Britain industrialized for many reasons. Before industrialization, the agricultural revolution took place. This was when many advances in agriculture occurred. For one, theShow MoreRelatedThe Causes And Effects Of The Industrial Revolution In Bangladesh1073 Words   |  5 Pageswhat the human race knows as the Industrial Revolution was born. Now, two hundred years later, with a repetition occurring in Bangladesh, what will this modern day phenomenon be known as? Similar to the English in the past, as the Bangladeshi economy continually develops, the living conditions of its workers are substantially depreciating. 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Sample Application Essay for College Admissions

The sample application essay below was written by Felicity for personal essay option #4 of the pre-2013 Common Application: Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence. With the current Common Application, the essay could work well for essay option #1  that asks students to share a story about something that is central to their identity. Note that Felicitys essay is from before the Common Application implemented the current 650-word length limit. Felicitys College Application Essay Porkopolis In the South, where I grew up, pork is a vegetable. Actually, it’s used as a â€Å"seasoning,† but so commonly that it’s almost impossible to find salad without bacon, greens without fatback, white beans free of pinkish shreds of ham. It was difficult for me, then, when I decided to become a vegetarian. The decision itself, made for the usual reasons of health, ethics and ecological conservation, was easy; putting it into practice, however, was another matter. At every restaurant, every school lunch, every church potluck, every family gathering, there was meat—in the entrà ©e, the sides, the condiments. I suspected even innocent-seeming pie crusts of secretly harboring lard. Eventually I worked out a system: I brought my own lunches to school, asked servers about the broth used in the soup of the day, avoided the usual suspects of beans and greens. This system worked well enough in public, but at home, I faced the challenge of respecting my parents and harmoniously sharing meals with them. They were excellent cooks, both of them, and I had always enjoyed the country-fried steaks, burgers and ribs they’d served to me for so many years—how could I now say â€Å"no† to those delicacies without angering or inconveniencing them, or, worse, hurting their feelings? I couldn’t. And so, I backslid. I’d manage to live a pure, meatless life for a few weeks, subsisting on pasta and salads. Then, Dad would grill an especially juicy teriyaki-marinated flank steak, look at me hopefully, and offer a slice—and I would accept. I’d mend my ways, steam rice and stir-fry snow peas with mushrooms . . . and crumble at the first whiff of the Thanksgiving turkey roasting in the oven and the proud smile on my mother’s face. My noble goals, it seemed, were doomed. But then, I found a role model, one who demonstrated to me that I could live without meat and still be a functioning member of society, eschew my parents’ pork chops and fried chicken without giving offense. I wish I could say that I was inspired by one of history’s great artists like Leonardo da Vinci, or a leader and inventor like Benjamin Franklin, but no. My inspiration was Lisa Simpson. Let me pause here to acknowledge how absurd it is to be inspired by an animated sitcom character, albeit one as smart and together as Lisa. Yet it was the very absurdity of feeling, somehow, moved by Lisa’s resolve and strength of character, her refusal to compromise her beliefs, that convinced me I could follow her example. In the pivotal episode, Lisa is tortured by visions of the lamb whose chops provide her family’s dinner. â€Å"Please, Lisa, don’t eat me!† the imaginary lamb implores her. She is moved by ethics, yet almost breaks her resolution when Homer prepares a pig roast and is hurt by his daughter’s refusal to partake. Like me, Lisa is torn between her convictions and her fear of disappointing her father (not to mention the undeniable deliciousness of pork). But she manages to explain her beliefs to Homer and show him that her rejection of meat is not a rejection of him—that she can share his table and his love while still living according to her principles. Again, I admit—as inspirations go, this one is a little ridiculous. No imaginary lamb-conscience spoke to me, and unlike Lisa, I was not able to celebrate my vegetarian lifestyle by triumphantly singing with Quickie-Mart manager Apu and guest stars Paul and Linda McCartney. But seeing the very obstacles that stymied me being overcome by a yellow-skinned, spiky-haired caricature was so silly that my difficulties, too, seemed silly. â€Å"Well heck,† I thought, â€Å"if Lisa Simpson—a cartoon character, for heaven’s sake— can stick to her guns, then so can I.† So I did. I told my parents that I had decided to really commit myself to vegetarianism, that this was not a passing phase, that I was not judging or seeking to convert them, but that this was simply something I had decided for myself. They agreed, perhaps a bit patronizingly, but as the months went on and I continued to forego the chicken in my fajitas and the sausage gravy on my biscuits, they became more supportive. We worked together on compromise. I took on a larger role in preparing the meals, and reminded them to please use vegetable stock in the potato soup and to reserve a separate pot of plain spaghetti sauce before adding the ground beef. When we attended a potluck, we made sure that one of the dishes we brought was a meatless entrà ©e, so that I would be guaranteed at least one edible dish at the pork-laden table. I did not tell my parents, or anyone else, that Lisa Simpson had helped me say no, forever, to eating meat. Doing so would cast the decision, one that many teenagers passionately make for a few months and then abandon, in the light of well-intentioned immaturity. But Lisa did help me live a more healthy, ethical, and ecologically sound life—to say no to pork, in all its guises. Critique of Felicitys College Admissions Essay Overall, Felicity has written an excellent essay for her Common Application. She does, however, take a few risks that could backfire. The comments below examine the essays many strengths as well as a few of the potential problems. The Essay Topic Felicity has certainly avoided some of the worst essay topics, but when students are asked to write about a fictional or historical figure for an application essay, admissions officers expect to find an essay on one of the likely suspects like Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, or Albert Einstein. For fiction and art, applicants tend to think big—a Jane Austen heroine, a Monet painting, a Rodin sculpture, a Beethoven symphony. So what are we to make of an essay that focuses on a seemingly trivial cartoon character like Lisa Simpson? Put yourself in the shoes of an admissions officer. Its tedious reading through thousands of college applications, so anything that jumps out as unusual can be a good thing. At the same time, the essay cant be so quirky or superficial that it fails to reveal the writers skills and character. Felicity takes a risk in her essay by focusing on a rather silly fictional role model. However, she handles her topic well. She acknowledges the strangeness of her focus, and at the same time, she produces an essay that really isnt about Lisa Simpson. The essay is about Felicity, and it succeeds in showing her depth of character, her inner conflicts, and her personal convictions. The Essay Title Titles can be difficult which is why many applicants skip them. Dont. A  good title  can grab your readers attention and make him or her eager to read your essay.   Porkopolis doesnt make clear what the essay is about,  but the strange title still manages to make us curious and pull us into the essay. In fact, the titles strength is also its weakness. What exactly does porkopolis mean? Will this essay be about pigs, or is it about a metropolis with too much pork-barrel spending? Also, the title doesnt tell us what character or work of art Felicity will be discussing. We want to read the essay to understand the title, but some readers might appreciate a little more information in the title. The Tone of Felicitys Essay Among the essential writing tips  for a winning essay is the inclusion of  a little humor to keep the essay fun and engaging. Felicity manages humor with wonderful effect. At no point is her essay shallow or flip, but her catalog of southern pork dishes and introduction of Lisa Simpson are likely to receive a chuckle from her reader. The essays humor, however, is balanced with a serious discussion of a challenge Felicity faced in her life. Despite the choice of Lisa Simpson as a role model, Felicity comes across as a thoughtful and caring person who struggles to mesh the needs of others with her own convictions. An Assessment of the Writing Felicitys essay is from before the current 650-word limit on Common Application essays. At about 850 words, the essay would need to lose 200 words to comply with the new guidelines. When it was written, however, Felicitys essay was a good length, particularly because theres no obvious fluff or digression. Also, Felicity is clearly a strong writer. The prose is graceful and fluid. The mastery of style and language marks Felicity as a writer who would be capable of performing well at the countrys  top colleges  and  universities. Felicity grabs our attention with her humorous first sentence, and the essay holds our interest throughout because of the shifts between the serious and the whimsical, the personal and the universal, the real and the fictional. The sentences mirror these shifts as Felicity moves between short and long phrases and simple and complex sentence structures. There are most likely strict grammarians who would object to Felicitys liberal use of the dash and her lack of the word and to introduce the final items in some of her lists. Also, someone might take issue with her use of conjunctions (and, yet, but) as transitional words at the beginnings of sentences. Most readers, however, will view Felicity as a dexterous, creative, and talented writer. Any breaking of the rules in her writing works to create a positive rhetorical effect. Final Thoughts on Felicitys Application Essay Like most good essays, Felicitys is not without risk. She could run up against an admissions officer who thinks the choice of Lisa Simpson trivializes the purpose of the personal essay. However, a careful reader will quickly recognize that Felicitys essay is  not trivial. Sure, Felicity may be grounded in popular culture, but she emerges from the essay as a writer who loves her family but is not afraid to stand up for her own convictions. She is caring and thoughtful, playful and serious, inward- and outward-looking. In short, she sounds like a great person to invite to join ones campus community.