624 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT
Section 1
Detailed Answer Key
Every society seems to have platitudes about lazi-
ness, like “idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” This
is because, to a society, the value of an individual is
little more than his or her productivity. For many
people, the worst kind of laziness is apathy, being
too lazy to even care. But the fact is that we couldn’t
survive if we cared about everything that was worth
caring about. We would go insane. Furthermore, those
who complain about apathy are usually the great
manipulators of the world, trying to blame others
for their own failures.
Holden Caulfield seemed to be apathetic to his
teachers at Pencey Prep. But he was far from apathetic;
indeed, he probably cared too much. His brother’s
death and the suicide of a classmate affected him
deeply, although he had trouble articulating his grief.
He saw what the adults in his world seemed unable to
see: the hypocrisy and meanness in the world. If he
didn’t get away from the things that the teachers and
other adults wanted him to care about, he probably
would have gone crazy. Indeed, those adults thought
he was crazy, but to Holden, it was the hypocritical
world that was mad. His desperation to protect himself
from the unbearable “phoniness” in the world led
him, ironically, to often be phony himself. He hated
his own hypocrisy, but he had to experience it to un-
derstand it. What others saw as apathy and cynicism
was just his way of making it in the world.
Holden was quick to see that those who com-
plained about his laziness and apathy were just the
ones who wanted to control him because they couldn’t
control their own lives. Teachers too often assume
that, if their students aren’t “performing,” they must
be lazy and apathetic. “You’re so smart. You would do
well if you would just apply yourself.” Teachers see
this kind of comment as supporting, but it is supremely
degrading, and it covers up the teachers’ inability to
inspire or even understand their students.
Some people even go so far as to assume that en-
tire societies are lazy or apathetic, simply because they
do not share their same sensibilities or “productivity,”
failing to see that productivity is often the product, not
just of hard work, but of material and logistical ad-
vantage. I don’t have to work as hard, for instance, to
be “productive” as a teenager in rural China, because
I have free access to a computer, the internet, a localThe following essay received 6 points out of a possible 6, meaning that it demonstrates clear and consis-
tent competencein that it- develops an insightful point of view on the topic
- demonstrates exemplary critical thinking
- uses effective examples, reasons, and other evidence to support its thesis
- is consistently focused, coherent, and well organized
- demonstrates skillful and effective use of language and sentence structure
- is largely (but not necessarily completely) free of grammatical and usage errors
Consider carefully the issue discussed in the following passage, then write an essay that answers the ques-
tion posed in the assignment.An entertainment-driven culture runs the risk of encouraging passivity among its citi-
zens. If they can experience something vicariously through a movie, television show, or
video game, why should they get involved with the activity itself? It’s safer, after all, to
watch someone scale a mountain than to do it yourself. The effect of this passivity, of
course, is an apathetic frame of mind. We cease to care deeply about so many things be-
cause they are experienced, at best, second-hand.Ass ignment: Is apathy a problem in today’s society?Write an essay in which you answer this ques-
tion and discuss your point of view on this issue. Support your position logically with
examples from literature, the arts, history, politics, science and technology, current
events, or your experience or observation.