Psychologist Mary Pipher’s “Writing to Change the World” beautifully demonstrates about the magical ability of the words that can change the world. Mary Pipher has described the power of word in her book. As a psychologist, she thinks writers can convey their message they have at their mind through writings. In “Writing to Change the World,” She uses her wide knowledge in writing to combine inspirational thoughts, boasting personal reports, quotations of other writers, and success stories of great writers who made a great impact on society. She considers writers as moral agents that their pens should inspire the readers.
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Pipher believes that the writers can regulate people through words. Her intention is not to teach people “how to write,” but to inform about the heart of the writers that they have something to be conveyed to make a drastic change in society. She has divided her book in three different sections that are more original and insightful. By beginning with the quote of Baldwin, Pipher has offered a “Baldwin Millimeter” as a guide to change the world. Pipher quotes Baldwin’s words to explain how “the world changes according to the way people see it” (Baldwin, 24). Writing serves as an inducer to wake up the feelings and energy of the readers, as it helps people to get clarified, gain new hope, and set goals.
In the first chapter, she admires the hope and will power of Anne Frank. “The Diary of Anne Frank” changed the points of view of Pipher and helped her to find that there are plethora of evil and darkness spread across the world. Even though, Anne Frank met her death in the hands of the evil person, she had enjoyed the beauty of the world and found the humane in the inhumane world. Pipher admired the hope of Anne Frank that the God’s creation must be shared equally among all humans. She got encouragement that she has to lead her life with love, kind, and warm.
Pipher has strongly felt that through writing, a tremendous change can be brought in the world. In the world’s history, tremendous changes had been brought by the ideas and goals of the writers. Every country in the world has its national anthem that never fails to arouse strong feeling in the heart and mind of the citizens. This is the best example for the writing that can do anything in this world. Pipher explores that moral and art writings are the two types that can connect and change the world. The art writing pleases the human life and the moral writing teaches man to lead a good life. As Jane Hirshfield rightly says, “A good poem can set its listeners adrift in a small raft under a vast night sky of stars” (Hirshfield, 99).Whatever the writing may be, the writings will always make a great impact on the behaviors of humans.
Pipher indulges, in her second section “Know Thyself,” in teaching refugees how to write poems that, she felt, can help people to identify themselves. Every human has a personal history and has something to be cherished and remembered. By sharing the personal experiences, people can get to know better about themselves. Experiences of people vary from individual to individual that cannot be finding in any other’s life. The author presents her idea of making people to write something about their advantages and disadvantages to explore more details and information to readers that serve as the best example ever. Pipher feels that when writing about the personal experiences with evidence, the writers can enter deep into the hearts of the readers to influence them. It will help the writers to present truths and facts about the incidents they have faced. Pipher father says that the personal writings will help people to know themselves better than ever before when they are reading their own life through their works. Every human being has unforgettable and memorable childhood days that have to be cherished throughout the life of the person. Thus, Pipher states that childhood memoirs can do better affect and influence the readers, as Anne Frank’s dairy did. That makes Pipher to quote Isak Dinesen, “write a little every day, without hope, without despair” (Pipher, 75).
As she confidently believes, personal writings and autobiographies will be the perfect and serve the purpose effectively, if the writers desire to give good writings. It is more important to analyze their purpose of writing and check whether they have something valuable can be delivered from their works. Then only, they can give messages in the form of words. Undoubtedly, books are the best companions, and it would be better if it is own work, as Pipher rightly says, “Later, they stimulated me when I was bored, and kept me company when I felt lonely” (Pipher, 37). These lines prove that she cannot even imagine a world without writings and books.
“Calls to Action” is the final section that comes up with the different ways of writings that can incite changes. She uses poetry, speeches, essays, and blogs as persuasive examples and overviews. Even though, the contents of her writings are different, the quality has never waver from its dignity. Whether these mediums are effective or ineffective, the depth of the writing and message can never fail to promote healthy meaning to life. As she has promised in the introduction, she presents in the “Writing to Change the World” her goal “is to help you translate your passion and idealism into action” (Pipher, 13).
Works Cited
Pipher, Mary Bray. Writing to Change the World. New York: Riverhead, 2006. Print.
Hirshfield, Jane. “Jane Hirshfield.” Fooling with Words: A Celebration of Poets and Their Craft. New York: Morrow, 1999. 89-113. Print.
Baldwin, James, and Therman B. O’Daniel. James Baldwin. A Critical Evaluation. London: Donker, 1977. Print.
Carver, Raymond, and William L. Stull. No Heorics, Please: Uncollected Writings. New York: Vintage, 1992. Print.
