August the 1st, 2008: Essay Prompt concerning Choices and How they Change Us.

The choices one makes in the course of one's lifetime have the ability to directly shape one's passage throughout life. Such choices are dictated by a number of factors--one's environment, one's circumstances, and one's personality. Thus, our lives are inevitably shaped by our decisions.

In the novel The Scarlet Ltter, Hester Prynne decides to commit adultery. Her decision changes her life, and also brings another into the world. Because of her choice, she and her daughter live in exile, shunned by the rest of the twon and declared unfit for society. She had once retained the quiet respectability of a young married woman, but had lost her reputation, along with any hopes of blending in. Hawthorne's novel demonstrates for us a harsh reality of life--what one chooses to do in one's life will be intricately tied with the rest of one's existence. .

In the movie Batman Returns, the viewer is allowed an intimate glance into how the midnight vigilante comes into existence. Bruce Wayne, after witnessing the demise of his parents dedicates his life to fighting crime. He decides to become that of Batman. This choice alters his life forever, and forces him to carry on two lives at the same time. He is a philanthropist by day and a hero by night. With such a decision, however, comes the sacrifice of any chance of a truly "normal" life.

Historically, there have been numerous occasions during which disaster struck due to a failure to act. The French Revolution, for example, was a result of growing tensions between the Third Estate, or the general public and the French monarchy. Louis XVI chose to remain unaffected by the devastating poverty that was plaguing the country. He ignored the warning signs and continued to practice uncensored decadence. As a result, his life, along with his lifestyle, was forced to change. He was exiled and sentenced to the guillotine.

Some might argue that it is fate that contorls one's life. Still, it can not be denied that the choices one makes--or fails to make--will invariably induce some effect on the rest of one's life. The consequences of one's decisions will reverberate throughout the rest of the time one resides on earth, ringing with the echo of the choices made, whether long ago, or just a moment ago.


SCORE: 10

Reasons must be more clear, first sentence.