Final Personal Essay 3 full pages long

Final Personal Essay

In this course, you and I visited the major geographical realms of the world and analyzed the strengths and

weaknesses of different societies. Like the movie poster above, there are good, bad and ugly elements in all

societies.

Let us now focus our analytical lens on the United States of America. Have you had personal experiences

that taught you something about positives and negatives of American society? Have you experienced

something that made you say to yourself, “This is why American society is so well developed?” Or, on the

contrary, has there been an experience that made you think, “This is a major problem that undermines

America's development?”

I want to strongly emphasize that this essay should be a personal one. Please do not start your essay with a

statement such as “I think this is why America is well developed” or “I think this is a major problem in

America.” Rather, start by being specific and personal: “I experienced this and I believe it is one of the

reasons why America is well developed.” Or, you could start with “I went through this particular

experience that led me to believe it is a major issue that American society must resolve for the future

development.” Also, concentrate on one issue or experience. Please do not simply list the factors that you

think make America strong such as (1) democracy (2) rich natural resources (3) high-tech industries….and

so on for the strength, or (1) war in Iraq (2) racial tension (3) illegal immigration, for America’s weaknesses.

That is nothing more than objectifying the issue.

That certainly is not the point of this exercise. I want you to sit down and give your personal analysis of

what American society is all about using your personal experience. For each of us, there is no objective

reality other than what you experience and feel. So be open and honest.

Lastly, all the essays will be made public so that students can share the experience. In the event that you feel

your essay is too personal to be shared with others, let me know.