OCTOBER 1, 2012
ACTUAL SAMPLES: HOW TO WRITE THEMES AND ESSAYS
(SAMPLE THEME – ANALOGY – ITEMS ON THE SAME LEVEL)
How Knowledge and Atomic Energy are Alike
Knowledge and atomic energy are alike in that both can be used for either creative or
destructive purposes. Both knowledge and atomic energy exists as latent or active.
Let us go back to the sources of knowledge and atomic energy. Knowledge begins
as an idea, tiny and invisible in the human mind; atomic energy begins as an atom,
invisible to the naked eye. Yet both the idea and the atom possess the potential for
tremendous power. However, as long as they remain in the latent stage, neither the idea
nor the atom can become constructive or destructive. Knowledge requires a reaction to
ideas in the human mind before it can develop into the explosive power that is creative
or destructive. As long as knowledge remains latent in stockpiles of books, it has no
power of its own. So must the atom be activated by certain processes before it can
become the explosive power that can be used for creative or destructive purposes.
Many constructive uses are now being found for atomic energy. One example of
good use is to generate electricity. The Atomic Energy Commission is working
on projects whereby atomic energy will be used to alleviate much of man’s work,
to provide the huge sources of power he will need, to be a servant to man in countless
ways. However, we all know the terrible destructive power of atomic energy which was
demonstrated in Japan
sudden annihilation by even more advanced atomic weaponry.
Similarly, knowledge has been activated and utilized by mankind. It has been put to
countless constructive uses. It has produced inventions which have improved man’s
living conditions. It has been passed on from generation to generation in innumerable
ways to keep mankind constantly advancing. In short, it is knowledge which has brought
mankind far along in manufacturing and research. We must confess however that
knowledge has also been used for destructive purposes. It has been used for warfare,
for mass killings, for poisoning man’s mind with evil ideologies and for arousing man’s
hatreds in a thousand ways.
So we may conclude that neither atomic energy nor knowledge has power within itself
to become constructive or destructive. The way man perceives or envisions its use
will make all the difference.
SAMPLE # 2 – ANALOGY- COMPARING ITEMS ON DIFFERENT LEVELS
The Queen Bee
After I pledged a fraternity, I became aware of a type of girl on campus who is highly
analogous to the queen bee in a hive. I think that the resemblance is remarkable.
The queen bee in a hive represents true royalty. Her instincts tell her that there can be
only one leader in each hive. For this reason, she is quick to destroy or drive away
any opposition. All the other bees live to serve her and to keep her well fed and
protected. The male bee is of no value except as a mate for the queen. He serves
no other purpose, such as producing honey or fighting the enemies of the hive, as do
the workers and the guard bees. Were it not for the queen, these drones would be
killed or banished. The workers supply the queen with honey. The guards protect her
with a barbed weapon called a stinger. In short, it appears as though thousands of
bees exist solely to serve the queen bee.
Similarly, many sororities have a queen bee, a girl who represents true royalty. Any
Slight threat of opposition which might come from the “workers” or the “guards”
meets with sudden and sure retaliation. Accordingly, they seldom show any signs
of opposing her. Even a brief acquaintance with a sorority leads one to believe that
all the other girls in the sorority exists to serve their “queen bee.” She gets first choice of
the males on campus who are leaders, wealthy athletes, or who have positions of power.
These males become her escorts, her dates. Any other male not fitting into the above
group is automatically a “drone,” and he is left for the inferior bees to fight over. The
workers and the guard bees in the sorority serve the same function as their counterparts
in the hive. They maintain their queen’s room, her clothing, her reputation and
frequently her scholastic standing. They are at her beck and call to serve as needed. On
the whole the girls seem to regard their queen with the same respect and awe that the bees
regard their queen. Rather than a stinger, however, the girls have an equally pointed and
deadly weapon which is know as their tongues. A tongue, as any male knows, can
paralyze or destroy an enemy as surely as a bee’s singer.
So, the next time you are walking past a sorority house and hear a buzzing from within,
do not think that your ears are playing tricks. You, my friend, have just come across a
real, honest-to-goodness, grown-up hive of human bees.
ARGUMENTATIVE (PERSUASIVE) SAMPLE # 3 COMPOSITION
The “Bug” or the “Bomb”?
Having spent almost six years in the service and being a married man of twenty-five,
I do not think that I am a typical freshman. I believe that I am more mature, more
worldly wise and know the value of a dollar. My father-in-law, however, does not think
that I know what I am doing, particularly when it comes to buying a car to replace the
antique I am now driving> I want to buy a Volkswagen. He wants me to buy an
American car. So our argument is for the “bug” or the “bomb.”
Why do I want to by a VW? First of all, it is my money. The VW I have priced
costs about $1,700.00 and that price includes everything I want on and in it. Once I
have a VW, the cost of running it is very low. It gets thirty-two miles to the gallon,
takes five pints of oil, and uses no antifreeze because it is air cooled. The cost of
insuring it is less than half of that of an American car. Repairs, if any are needed, are
much cheaper, and the tires will last the life of the car if one rotates them and keeps them
properly inflated. License plates are one-third the cost of a big car. These figures are
facts, not fiction.
Then, too, the VW depreciates at a much lower rate than an American car. I have
studied the prices in the papers for the past few months. A one-year-old VW depreciates
about three hundred dollars, a two – year – old about four hundred, and a three – year –
old about five hundred dollars. In other words, I can drive a VW for three years and still
get about two – thirds of my purchase price for it.
Furthermore, I want a car to drive to school, to church, to the grocery store.
I do not plan to tour the United States
Transportation.
Now, there is nothing wrong with American cars. In my situation, I have to
look at the following facts. The car my father-in-law suggests that I buy will
cost at least $2,500.00. It gets about twenty miles to the gallon, takes eight
quarts of oil, and needs antifreeze. Insurance will cost well over the average price,
repairs and spare parts are real expensive. That is not even including the license
plate. In short, the initial cost and the running expenses will be at least one-third more
than with the VW.
How much does an American car depreciates? Too much, to my way of thinking. In the
paragraphs above I mentioned that a VW will depreciate about five hundred dollars in
three years. An American car depreciates that much the moment it is driven out of the
garage! In three years, it will depreciate about 40% perhaps even more.
The American car, of course, does have its advantages. It is roomier, more
comfortable especially for longer trips. It is possibly a safer car. It is also a
“status symbol” for Americans, but I can do without status for a while.
In short, there is a place for the VW and a place for the American car, and as long as I
am a married college student, I insist that my place is in a VW and father – in
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