Three Dots Three Million Meanings

Submitted By brookeshieldz
Words: 937
Pages: 4

AP essay
Three dots, three million meanings… How could one possibly write anything remotely interesting on punctuation, something so ancient and dull? In what way could one talk about common “scribbles” subconsciously placed in between words? Now, that my friend is the question… Posing this question over and over in my head made me realize something. Whether we like it or not, periods, commas, question marks take a huge place in our lives. You may not be aware of this but a period sleeps next to you in bed, at the end of the day. A question/exclamation mark sits with you in the movie theater. These invisible beings express elements of this world without actually being seen, yet their presence is real. Writing or not they’re there- in every moment. How, you may ask? Well, seeing as though these inevitable presences are so commonly used they automatically take meaning in our lives and actions. And, in a world full of unknown mysteries we live our lives blind and oblivious to what lies ahead. As powerful as we may think we are, in reality we are powerless when it comes to- well, everything. There is only one mark of punctuation that could express such helplessness and unending oblivion of every person. That is the ellipsis… One may think the question mark; with its suspicious, curvy body is one to hang in the air of our life. Or, maybe even the exclamation point, because of our well known cliché “life is full of surprises”. In the end, all is relative and that is what truly matters; because, what may be odd or surprising for one person may differ for the other. That is where the ellipsis makes its entrance: a sight of absolute perfection. Its ensemble is exquisite, not too much and not too little. Just three perfectly round dots… It really is amazing how three dots can make one see, act or think a certain way; a trio of options or ideas that are felt in a million different ways. The same manner one wine can be appreciated in numerous ways just by smelling lavender or a mint leaf. Articulate words by the greatest writers possess millions of definitions. Adding the ellipsis makes the meaning even more unique and touches every soul in their individual way. The writer might have a certain idea in mind and we may catch on to it. However, in the end it is up to us to decide what they mean. The ellipsis allows one to elaborate the meaning and not have to settle for one concept of the same thing. One does not have to be told what is a question or a statement. Has the story ended? Will he ever see her again? Am I going to die? Or: It has ended! He will never see her again! I’m going to die! or.. The story has ended. He will never see her again. I will die. The punctuation here is only used to express the emotion felt by the person reading a sentence like: “This end is only the beginning of a new life…death.” Or: “He watched her glide away. Did she see him? He thought she saw him…a glance.” An ellipsis has this power. It has the ability of metamorphosis; it becomes what one wants it to be. It becomes you… One’s life consists of moments of impact; flashes of high intensity that completely turn our lives upside down and define who we are. Every individual is the sum total of every moment they’ve experienced. It is these moments that become our history, and our history that repeats itself into our future. These moments affect us far beyond