Undergraduate /
death is only way to happiness? U of M essay 500 words [8]
^ I'm not sure sure if 3 paragraphs is really necessary or you could even merge 2 and 3 to shorter paragraphs. You say you're 40 words over, I think cutting down the second paragraph and merging it with the third would be nice.
Ethan Frome is a man torn between what he wants to do, and what he should do. His love for learning and keenness for engineering could have led Ethan to a much better life. Unfortunately, the town's people make Ethan feel obligated to marry his cousin Zeena in return for all the care she brought to his ill mother. In the end he believes his only way to happiness is escaping his miserable life through death. Likewise, I feel obligated to stay at home with my family for college. Traditionally a Middle Eastern girl stays in her parents' home till she marries, and with all that they have done for me how can I leave them? After finishing the book I came to realize that I had two options; I could follow Ethan's example as he did what people expected him to do by marrying Zeena and staying on the farm; or I could be assertive and challenge myself at great institution such the University of Michigan Ann Arbor? The answer if one could not realize by reading this essay, is to challenge myself and pop out of the traditional Middle Eastern bubble also known as my house. If there is one thing that reading Ethan Frome taught me is to not conform to other people, but rather take my own lead on life and do what it is that I believe will make me happy. My intelligence and love for learning can take me too many different successful places as Ethan's could have, and although I value the opinions of my family I do not want to be like Ethan wondering 'what if" everyday searching for a way out of a life I did not choose.
In essence, I learned from Ethan that if I want to be happy in my future then I should start making the decisions
for it myself and not let other
s influence it. I need to be challenged not only with intelligence but also with how well I can stick to tradition when I am surrounded by many other differing ones. I feel that University of Michigan Ann Arbor is where I need to be in order to not follow Ethan's mistake and lead a life of success and happiness.
Sorry I tried, not sure if I helped, but yes definitely cut down ont he summary, 2-3 sentences is enough.