Hey,
I would really appreciate your comments on my common application essay.
I've done prompt #4:
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.
Here's my essay:
'He-Who-Taught-Me-Many-Things'
I consider reading one of the simplest pleasures in life. I do not boast of always being interested in the most epic of novels, or the most illustrious of biographies. Personally, I would be quite content if I had a book that served its purpose of escapism, and quenched my particular thirst at that moment. If I feel like I need to escape from the grasp of reality and immerse myself in an otherworldly experience, I'd reach for a book by Tolkien or one of the books from the 'Harry Potter' series. If I were in the mood for witty humour, I'd go for a book by Jane Austen, or if all I needed were a bit of fluffy pink frivolity, I would reach for one from the 'Shopoholic' series. I was always amazed at the things I could learn from books, even if they might concern the most frivolous, unimportant things in life.
It is amazing indeed, that one particular character from a book could influence me in such a way as to make me reflect upon my actions and change myself. The character I speak of helped me understand the value of friendship and of family, and to act on reason and judgement and not on a blind desire for power. Most importantly, I learnt from this character the consequences of disregarding all that I just mentioned. He basically taught me what not to be, and why. I speak of, wait for it, "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named". Rather, he-who-goes-by-many-names, such as, "Tom Riddle", "You-Know-Who", the "Dark Lord" and most infamously "Lord Voldemort".
Let me explain the absurdity in choosing to write of a villain from a children's series. When I first read 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' as a child, I always thought of Voldemort as a big bully because I did not understand the true expansion of the word 'Villain'. It was as the series progressed that I understood the true nature of his tyranny and despised him as much as one possibly could despise a fictional character. If there was at least a part of Voldemort that was good, one could argue that it was society and the way he was brought up that caused him to turn into what he was, but no, Voldemort's enemy was himself.
From his degeneration as a character, I learnt that his fault was that he never had a family, and hence never appreciated it. His 'friends' were merely his minions who bent at his will, and he never had a true attachment to any of them. His mindless rage and desire to destroy at all costs consumed him and made him a heartless, unfeeling being. As Dumbledore puts it, "If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love." This was his downfall. His inability to love and appreciate the things that should have been dear to him cost him his life.
Witnessing Voldemort's downfall made me realise many things, one of which is that I would be no one without my family. Sure, we have our occasional disagreements and conflicts, just like any family does, but in the end, we always manage to pull through and remain firmly behind one another's success. We laugh and cry with each other, share each other's misery and happiness. Like many others, my family to me is a main source of moral guidance and support, and Voldemort's inability to understand what a family meant, and what that turned him into made me strongly acknowledge the importance of mine.
I am truly blessed in the sense that I have a great group of friends who I can rely on and trust. As a friend, I always try to do the best I can to support a person, and stand by them through thick and thin. I am lucky, therefore that my friends are just as genuine and have gotten me through much in life. As peers, we share the same troubles and problems and find solutions together. Friendship is one thing I will not sacrifice at any cost. Voldemort never wanted a friend, and he trusted no one. So much so that it made him paranoid and plunged him into the downward spiral that eventually leads to his demise.
Rowling has clearly established that Voldemort is a highly skilled and gifted wizard. He has the brains, the wit and the talent to do great things. Yet, it was his choices that made him the monster he is. Dumbledore tells Harry, "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." This holds especially true for Voldemort, and it is one of the biggest lessons that I learnt from the series. One might possess all the talent and determination in the world, but if that talent is so determinedly channelled for the wrong causes, then it becomes a danger to everyone.
Many consider Voldemort just another fictional character, a fleeting fragment of imagination that can never exist. However, I feel that Voldemort represents aspects of our society that do exist. The only difference is that we do not wield wands or mouth hexes and curses at each other. The world has seen many Voldemorts in the past. Adolf Hitler's quest for the dominance of the Aryan race bears an uncanny resemblance to Voldemort's obsession with the purification of the wizard bloodline. Hitler was also a great leader and his Nazi soldiers followed him to whatever end, just as the Death Eaters follow Voldemort. Like Hitler, Voldemort chose to wreak havoc and enforce his ideology in the world. Anyone is capable of harbouring a Voldemort within him or her, but it is our choices that set us apart, and allow us to control and eventually vanquish him.
To me, Voldemort represents what a man should never be in his life. He is an extreme character, whose blind lust for power clouds his judgement and turns him into a raving psychopath. He is not just another fictional character; there is something real in Rowling's portrayal of him. He is an example of a man who makes all the wrong choices, and chooses to ignore love and all that is kind. Witnessing Voldemort's destruction and the factors which contributed to his demise has allowed me to reflect on the type of person I am, appreciate my loved ones, and make more reasoned choices. If there was one good thing Voldemort has done, it is this.
The first paragraph is very impressive, your use of the concept of escapism in particular. However, that paragraph is not related to the rest of the essay! Can you mention escapism later on, briefly, instead?
I really like the sentence about explaining the absurdity; that is very cool!! I almost wish it was the first sentence of the essay. the first sentence is very important, as you know.
Oh, your last sentence is great, too!! Good thought.
...extreme character whose... no comma necessary.
