Fictitious

So I've dedicated this day to writing college essays, but I've gotten stuck on one that has made me think my face off. (Not literally, of course, because I can't very well attend any sort of college without a face.) And, being the 2000's kid I am (I honestly remember very little of the 1990's, so I don't consider myself a 90's kid), I decided to turn to the power of the blog to work out some ideas.

The Manhattan School of Music (which has recently become my new "dream school" since I won't have to study science there :D) has a wide range of requirements, all of which I can adhere to. I am currently in the midst of applying there to study Classical Voice. I honestly think I can get in-- even though MSM only admits roughly 800 students a year. Let's hope the fates are with me on this one.

Anyway, the main essay question is "What fictional character do you identify with and why?"

fic·ti·tious/fikˈtiSHəs/Adjective

1. Not real or true, being imaginary or having been fabricated.

2. Of, relating to, or denoting the imaginary characters and

events found in fiction.

And so my thoughts scatter.

My first thought was Harry Potter. Let's look at how we compare:

- We both are human

- We both have had personal struggles in our lives but have overcome said struggles (in my case, my issues with my leg-- my mom has told me that I have to include that in all college essays from now on. Ha.)

Hmm. Not an impressive list. Then I got to thinking about characters outside of the realm of books. Musical theatre characters. And boom. I arrived at the Phantom of the Opera (who, interestingly enough, is named Erik. Coincidence? I think not.) Again... comparisons:

- We are both lovers of music

- We have had physical struggles to overcome. (Again... working up the leg.)

- We both have eccentric albeit enchanting personality traits.

- There is more to us than meets the eye.

I feel like the Phantom essay is more relevant, since I'm going into a school of music. Though there is no specific requirement that I have to mention my musical career, I think it's best to emphasize specific points of my goals (those being a career in musical theatre or opera) as much as possible, while still getting sympathy for my leg (I'M FINALLY A MINORITY).

For similar reasons, I could include Willy Wonka... but since I'm currently in that show, I don't think I'd feel comfortable writing about it. Plus I can just see the college board thinking of the Johnny Depp version and being like WTF.

And then I wonder to myself... are they looking for more classical characters? Something that makes me look like an intellectual? Something completely based off of Sparknotes (which they don't have to know) that makes me look like some worldly scholar of literature? I am, after all, going into classical voice. If that's the case, then all I can think of at the moment is Equality 7-2521 from Anthem... one of the few pieces of classical literature that I've been able to actually stomach. I could also do an essay on Snowball from Animal Farm, but that would make me a Communist. And a pig.

And we simply can't have that, can we?

And so, I'm unsure. Right now, I'm leaning toward the Phantom idea. But we still must remember that the Phantom is a crazed lunatic who kind of hanged a gentleman from the rafters in the climactic scene in the musical.

So the idea is kind of like that fly that's currently buzzing around my room and everything time I try to swat it, it flies away even though I clearly hit it.

Symbolic fly, give me inspiration.