Honesty is the Best Policy

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Recommended: Public perceptions influenced by the media

Henry Louis Mencken said, “It is hard to believe that a man is telling the truth when you know that you would lie if you were in his place.” Under most circumstances people in the world today would lie before they tell the true. I believe people would rather stretch the truth, than be honest with themselves and with others. Judith Ortiz Cofer, Nora Ephron, and Eric Schlosser, demonstrate honesty throughout their essays.

Cofer’s essay “The Story of My Body” is an autobiography focusing on her childhood; how she honestly felt about herself growing up. She was truthful about her skin color; she did not try to enrich her skin color to improve the essay. “White,” ”blanca” is what Cofer was identified as in Puerto Rico growing up (Cofer 324). Being different growing up is difficult and intimidating, but she was honest with herself and accepted who she was. Cofer was honest about her size “I was 4F, skinny, short, bespectacled” is how Cofer honestly explains her stature, and honestly tells the readers that her nickname was “shrimp” (326, 327). Being honest, lead Cofer to realize she had knowledge, which is more important than achieving an A in physical education class. This allowed her to discover who she was, which helped her become an honest person. Finally, Cofer’s honesty about her “looks” helps portray a picture of confusion of growing up. In Puerto Rico she was “rewarded for being bonita, pretty,” but in “main stream world of school” she was just “presentable” (Cofer 328, 329). Being honest with herself allowed her to represent her class, she did not over dress; she dressed “neatly” (Cofer 329). Her honesty throughout her childhood, allowed her to become the type of person she is today.

Ephron’s essay “The Boston Photographe...

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...e bacteria’s have made it across America in their foods (Schlosser 496). The advertisement of large corporations “aggressively market to children” and children can be affected by contaminated meat easier than an adult (Schlosser 496). The rise of the fast food corporations has honesty began the devastation of economic decline in the United States.

Honesty can be hard to find in someone, the fact is people will lie before telling the truth. It is difficult to understand that the honesty in a novel or article can be more entertaining than a fictional tale. The three essays by Judith Ortiz Cofer, Nora Ephron, and Eric Schlosser, portrayed how honesty overcomes dishonesty. Writing about personnel events in life, or about a company destroying America, or even how other people become angry with something you have done, it is still the best policy to be honest.

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