In this inquiry essay, TJ, a Grade 12 student, explores the tension between conformity and individual conscience. Drawing on literature, psychological experiments, and personal experience, the essay examines how obedience to authority, tradition, and social expectations can undermine moral judgment, revealing the dangers of prioritizing social acceptance over ethical responsibility.
Diary Entries (14 years old) December 24, 1800 Boarding School To my derelict self, ‘Twas Christmas Eve, and I lay within the solemn refuge of my cold room. The wintertime frost has long coated the bare, snowy yard, where the naked oaks stand grim and isolated. Beneath the creaky floorboards, …
Rationale I made a collage with blended borders to show Mary’s disorder of thoughts. The first image depicts a traditional restaurant setting, with dull colours and a traditional Korean symbol on the wall. The words are floating, dominating the space despite not being present. Three characters are evident: Joon-Ho in …
The Ominous Button People’s morals are often forsaken when they are offered tempting rewards, and the consequences of their immoral actions feel so remote. “Button, button” follows Mr. Steward’s offer to Norma, a deal where if she presses a button, she will receive $50,000, but someone she does not know …
Story Review of “After Twenty Years” Have you struggled to choose what you wanted to do? “After Twenty Years” by O Henry (William Sydney Porter) is a short story that explores the theme of friendship, loyalty, time, crime, and justice. Although O Henry didn’t win any awards himself, the popular …
The Internal Battle of Denial There are moments in life when the truth feels too heavy to bear. We convince ourselves that certain things didn’t happen, that our mistakes aren’t really mistakes, or that the world is not as it truly is. The struggle with truth and denial is a …
As the man let a solemn sigh escape his mouth, he stared into the vast yet melancholic landscape surrounding him, where time seemed to slow as he dozed in and out of his thoughts. Apart from the gentle rise and fall of his chest, he sat as still as a …
Lost in Adaptation: How “The Tell-Tale Heart” Loses Its Soul on Screen Many stories have video adaptations built on the original story with less depth and sophistication. These video adaptations, which are often easier to understand, lose the story’s main focus. “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe and its …
I can almost envision her, right there, straightened up, with her hands grasping a book. She could always manage to let everything float away, at least for that moment, like even the most difficult burdens could sail beneath our feet. And then, after her, suddenly, everything is getting heavier. This …
