Question: What must we do to understand ourselves?

Question

Time Limit-25 minutes (handwritten)

Please grade this based on this rubric--- blog. eprep. com /2006 /12/04 /sat-essay-rubric

Human nature is nothing like an open book. It works in mysterious ways, solely responsible for our perception of life. Perceiving and understanding ourselves is not an easy feat, requiring us to drive ourselves to the limit and reach our maximum potential. This can be seen in George Orwell's 1984(underlined) and Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray (underlined).
The main character of Orwell's 1984(underlined), Winston Smith is a prisoner of the society he lives in. His life is regulated and carefully limited by his government which only makes him the person he is told to be, not who he truly is. He pushes these limits to the very edge, and brings out his true self despite bing almost tortured to death. The small rebellion is exactly what Winston needed to bring out and understand his true self.
Dorian Gray of Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray(underlined) is not tied down to a manipulated society like Winston's. He is instead tied down by societal norms and his looks, both of which he must keep up to par. As Dorian realizes that he has been leading a superficial life, he spends years overindulging in costly pleasures. Pushing himself to his physical and mental limit, he recognizes his true self.
Though these pieces are two works of fiction, they both accurately depict the truth of human nature. Understanding oneself is no easy task and it may take one's whole life to accomplish.

Answer 1

Since you did not answer the question, I'd score it 0.

Answer 2

To recognize your true self, you need to push yourself to your limits. That's the premise of this entire essay, though not explicitly stated (which means a lower score), I still answered the question.

Answer 3

That may be true for you. But to understand yourself, you need to be introspective and seriously consider your interests, loves, passions, strengths, and weaknesses.

Your essay question is: "What must we do to understand ourselves?"

That question demands a direct answer, not one that appears to be a reworking of an essay on human nature.

Answer 4

Unfortunately your thesis is at the end of paragraph two; this structural error will automatically bring you down to a four at best. Furthermore, you don't clearly connect each of your supporting arguments to the thesis. Instead, it reads more like a critical analysis comparing two works of literature. SAT graders do not give extra points for literary or "academic" examples, but rather how relevant your examples are to your thesis. However, your strong use of vocabulary, varied sentence structure, and generally strong grasp of grammar will save you here, and most likely this would score a 4. It's a little weak, but it is stronger than most essays that score a 3. A compromise might be to give it a 7 out of 12.

Answer 5

GG Nub. This was an epic failure.