Abes Neughebauer

1-10-14
English
B2

Integrity Essay

English class has truly opened my eyes to people of integrity, and why they fit the
meaning. Throughout the jovial year, I saw a copious amount of novels, short stories, and
personal examples which are congenial paradigms concerning integrity. There have been various
trends in each individual of integrity, such as, they are martyrs, and have a mindset of who they
are. Hence, integrity is the adherence to moral and ethical principles, the soundness of moral
character and honesty.
Lord of the Flies oozes an abundance of acts of integrity mostly commenced by Ralph.
Ralph is one of the boys who is trapped on the island, and makes tough choices to benefit the
group. For example, when he became chief he states that the person holding the conch would be
the only one permitted to speak. Not only is he head strong, but he followed his heart and gives
encouraging, as well as inspirational, speeches. In the novel, everyone admires and respects him.
Through his determination to get off of the island and to follow his set of principles, concerning
bravery, and helping others, he decides to tell everyone to make a fire. By doing so, others would
notice the loners on the deserted island, and help, as well as, placate them. Throughout the entire
book Ralph sticks to his morals and learns that he has to be true to himself. For example, when
Jack became a savage, as well as inspirational, and his choir boys followed, Ralph remains
strong and fights for himself, rather than succumb to Jacks tyrannical rule . He is a strong
activist for rules and believes it holds the group together. Additionally, when Simon dies Ralph
is highly emotional because it was cold blooded murder, which was an act that Ralph would not
commit due to his strong character. Lastly, when Piggys glasses were stolen Ralph went back
Abes Neughebauer
1-10-14
English
B2

Integrity Essay

and retrieves them. Therefore, Ralph stands against thievery, murder, no rules and savagery,
because he upholds to his principles of honesty, courage, and strength.
A person who truly fits the meaning of integrity is Alexander Hamilton. He stuck to his
principles of honesty, courage and moral values. Additionally, there are several paradigms that
profusely explain why he is an individual of integrity. First and foremost, Alexander Hamilton
remained dedicated to being brave. For example, he was willing to risk his own life to get ahead
in the world. He eventually became a patriot and wrote essays signed A Friend to America.
By doing so, he adhered to his ideology of defending America. However, he still longed for
more. Thus, he joined a militia who showed their loyalty by wearing hats inscribed with the
words, Liberty of Death. Then, he helped emancipate slaves which showed his valor and belief
in equality. Not only was he a hero of war, he was also a main reason in the creation of a
successful America. In the early 1780s, he stated that we must secure our union on solid
foundations. Therefore, he gave a five hour speech in which he advocated for a strong central
government. Moreover, when it had to be ratified he remained close to his principles and did not
give up. Therefore, he wrote eighty-five articles pushing for ratification, known as The
Federalist, and was ultimately victorious. Due to his diligence, his actions were commemorated
in the creation of The Hamilton which was a ship in the parade celebrating ratification.
Nevertheless, he was also honest in admitting to having his affair with Maria Reynolds.
However, due to his candor he was forgiven. Finally, on July 11, 1804, Aaron Burr, who was his
lifetime enemy, and Alexander Hamilton had a duel, where he said that he would rather die than
take another life. Hence, he did not fire and was mortally wounded. In conclusion, he remained a
Abes Neughebauer
1-10-14
English
B2

Integrity Essay

person of integrity until his death, through his love for America and his fidelity to his
convictions.
There are three short stories that expose integrity the best out of the others. First and
foremost, in The Lottery, the two individuals who show integrity are Old Man Warner and Mr.
Summers. Old Man Warner was a strong supporter of the Lottery because it was tradition, which
portrays integrity because he stayed true to his beliefs of continuing a custom. Nevertheless, his
polar opposite who is Mr. Summers, believes that the practice should continue, thereby
enhancing his principle of being kind and doing the best for the community. Additionally, in
The Scarlet Ibis, characters, who stood out due to their adherence to their principles, were
Doodle, as well as, his brother. Although Doodle had problems with his health he still remained
loyal to his ideals of determination and perseverance. On the other hand, his brother was honest
and tried his best to help his brother, which shows a caring personality because he did everything
in his power to make Doodle have a better life. Lastly, in The Yellow Wallpaper, the lady
involved stayed true to her emotions, and was honest to those around her about her feelings and
wants, which definitely conveyed her principle of being true to those around her. Therefore,
short stories also convey crucial undertones of integrity; one simply has to look for the deeper
meanings within the words.
However, several individuals may believe that integrity is merely the action of
completing a benevolent act. Although that is part of integrity, it is not the whole idea. Through
personal experience I have learned that it is also doing what is right when no one is looking.
Abes Neughebauer
1-10-14
English
B2

Integrity Essay

Voluminous numbers of people have acted generously towards people. However, that does not
necessarily mean that he or she has integrity. One example of a person who has integrity is Jane
Addams. Even when there was hostile air above immigrants and small amounts of people wanted
to help them, Jane Addams supported them. The time and effort she put into education reform,
the Hull House and bettering the lives of immigrants was not acknowledged during the era
because of the increasing number of nativists. Although she had a pool of cruel people against
her, and her laudable deeds were not accepted, she still fought for what she believed was right.
Therefore, Jane Addams certainly had integrity due to her courageous spirit and how she
transformed the lives of immigrants. Thus, a widespread counterclaim is that integrity is just
benefiting people but it is also the act of doing it when no one is in the vicinity of the action.
Each person of integrity is a symbol of morals, as well as values. The essay provides
ambiguity, whereas one can compare each individual together. By doing so, one can analyze the
person in question and find patterns. The illusive characteristics of the individuals shine through
in this essay and truly allow others to see the good in them. Finally, each person of integrity
definitely abides to the definition through their munificent acts which bring felicity to all those
whereby affected.