CHAPTER 13 / ESSAY WRITING PRACTICE 491
Sample Essays: Practice Essay 5
Consider carefully the issue discussed in the following passage, then write an essay that answers the
question posed in the assignment.Being truly human as a member of a society means seeing injustice and working to
fix it. The human mind can not only perceive the immediate world and act instinctively,
but also visualize a better future and endeavor to realize it.Assignment: What is one great injustice in the world, and how should it be addressed?Write
an essay in which you answer this question and explain the reasons for your choice.
You may draw inspiration and support from literature, the arts, history, politics,
science and technology, current events, or your experience or observation.Sample: 6 points out of 6
One great injustice that has not been adequately addressed is the perception that depression is a sign of weak-
ness. The human mind is a complex puzzle. Psychological theories, diagnoses and treatments are constantly
changing and may never be fully understood. Unfortunately, people tend to dismiss theories that don’t provide
simple answers.
At best, psychologists can create a rough map of tendencies and patterns, connecting them as often as pos-
sible to findings in neurology and thus lending them a sense of scientific validity. Diagnosing a complex disease
like depression involves examining a wide constellation of symptoms over a long period of time. This doesn’t
satisfy skeptics. Someone with the flu will show clear symptoms like fever, nausea, and congestion. A depressed
person will have less measurable symptoms like lethargy, emotional polarity or apathy. Skeptics tend to view
these as simply a lack of will. They do not understand that depression is an illness just like influenza or cancer.
Someone with a tumor can’t just think happy thoughts and pretend it is not there. The same can be said about
clinical depression.
People suffering from depression are unfairly stigmatized. They resist seeking help and so lead lives filled
with unnecessary pain. Those lucky enough to find help are often ashamed to tell their peers. Friends often mis-
construe symptoms of depression as personal slights: Why didn’t she call me? Why is he not fun anymore? Bonds
are thus broken due to miscommunication.
Depression alters one’s life at least as dramatically as more “accepted” illnesses do. People suffering from
depression need others to understand the limitations depression imposes. They need to be allowed to heal. Ad-
vances in anti-depressants and mood stabilizers can help ease these adjustments, but social pressure makes it
nearly impossible for the victims of depression to live in a suitable environment.
Emotional disorders are a remarkably sad facet of life. To lose control over one’s emotions is to lose track of
hope. A world that denies one’s suffering makes this situation even worse. The key to resolving this problem is
education. People of all ages need to understand how prevalent depression is and that it is not a cause for em-
barrassment. Hopefully, we will one day live in a world where emotional disorders will be treated with the same
tolerance and compassion as “traditional” illnesses.
Evaluation:This is a thoughtful and well-articulated essay supporting the thesis that “the perception that depres-
sion is a sign of weakness” is a great injustice. It effectively analyzes the social perception of clinical depression,
clearly articulates opposing views on the matter, and explains the reasoning supporting the author’s viewpoint. The
author does a very good job of engaging the reader and remains focused on portraying this misperception as a great
injustice, yet concludes on a hopeful note.