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Leslie Carpio
Professor Ogden
English 1A
10 June 2015
The Benefits of Words
Mary Pipher has been a psychotherapist for many decades and a best-selling author of
several books, but her book Writing to Change the World was created for individuals who have
a story that they are passionate about and would like to share it to the world through writing. The
chapters in her book Writing to Change the World are of personal experiences, meaningful
quotations, and stories of writers who have inspired society. She expresses that words are the
most powerful tool and truly believes that it can be therapeutic, change peoples lives, and create
economic justice.

Firstly, writing has been known to be therapeutic for mental health issues. Based on my
own experience, while attending group therapy for depression my therapist advised all patient to
write in a journal. This was to help us gather our feelings, express our anger, frustration, and
most of all try to forgive our abuser. Forgiveness does not mean to forget the abuse or pretend it
never happened, but it is so we can move forward with our lives. Hawkesbury Gazette a local
news site wrote Learn to Write Your Feelings, states that Windsor Downs psychologist Leanne
Allen from Reconnect Psychology says, Journal writing helped people clarify their thought and
feeling, which allows faster healing (Learn to Write Your Feelings). The sentiment expressed
in chapter six Diving In- Getting Started, explains how Pipher suffered from anxiety whenever
she wrote. She felt her writing was so horrible that at the end of the day it was not worth keeping

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so she would erase it. She focused on writing letters, thank you notes, and wrote cards to friends
until she finally felt comfortable to proceed into more serious writings, but was unable to do so
because the critic in her aroused and so did her anxiety. Pipher finally sat herself down and let
her criticism express itself on paper until she was exhausted. Though writing was the trigger to
her anxiety Pipher explains that it was therapeutic. After she became absorbed into her writing
she felt a fading effect of her anxiety and a gaining sense of lucidity, and beauty that gave her a
peaceful mind. This shows that when bottling stress can have a negative effect on health but once
mirrored onto paper a relieving feeling hits the mind and body, giving the therapeutic effect.

Secondly, many writers and other individuals believe that writing can change peoples
lives. It can motivate, change history, and inspire everyone. I remember when my son learned
about Native Americans from a school project. He was amazed and became passionate about the
topic that for his essay he wanted to write about his grandfathers tribe. After completing the
assignment he presented it to his class. He did not just want to share something that he was proud
of with his classmates but wanted to inspire them to explore their culture and what interesting
history they might have. In addition, Pipher writes when she was a child what changed her life in
the way she viewed the world was after she read The Dairy of Anne Frank. As a child Pipher was
innocent and was shielded from the evil of this world contained. Within her bubble she observed
adults express their anger, nasty classmates, and bullies, but was unclear of the danger from
thieves, bank robbers, and gangsters within her city. After reading the dairy she realized the
danger this world can produce and that there were monsters that would murder children. Pipher
was inspired by the way Anne Frank wrote of her life hiding in the attic from Nazis and the
danger that was occurring around her but in spite of it all she still had hope a hope of change.

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Messages in The Dairy of Anne Frank is an example of what Pipher expresses in her writings in
Writing to Change the World. She writes in hope of impacting beginner writers in teaching
them how to share their message to the world. Writing allows us to connect with readers all
around the world. We can support and influence people we will never meet. We cant necessarily
repair damage in another country, but we can write something that might help, at least a little
(Pipher 16). This quote expresses how powerful words can be and how it can help change lives.

Thirdly, the power of writing can move individuals in a way that it can help pick up
society in this country with the assistants of economic justice. Erin Madden a journalist who
wrote Literacy Holds Potential to Change Inmates Lives, interviewed several volunteers who
provided one on one tutoring to inmates from Winnipeg Remand Centre. Volunteer Christie
Fisher from the John Howard Societys literacy program expresses she is a strong believer in
the power of literacy. Not only does it enhance lives, it can change them (Madden). These
volunteers not only help improve inmates reading, writing, and grammar skills, but educate
them on interesting topics such as parenting, victim awareness, substance abuse, and job training.
They also assist those who like to achieve a General Education Diploma. In addition, Pipher
gives her example on how words can motivate someone and take action when she wrote how,
President John Kennedy was so moved by Michael Harringtons The Other America that he
launched the War on Poverty, later implemented by President Johnson (Piper 25). Due to the
positive reaction President Kennedy had towards the words of the writer Harrington, he set
government programs to assist poor Americans with food, housing, and job training. I agree how
literacy is the key of changing not just your own life but many lives, giving them the opportunity
change lives in the most positive way.

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In conclusion, writing is an important tool to have. With it we can help heal peoples
sorrows and the world as well, but knowing how to write is not enough. We also need to learn
how to express ourselves in a way were the reader can connect with us. In Writing to Connect
the World Pipher showed a lot of good techniques throughout her book that beginner writers can
benefit from. I believe her advice is really helpful and I can see it helping direct and create a
purpose to their writing because I feel that her book has helped me develop my writing to create
a more structure and detailed meaning towards writing this essay.

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Work Cited Page
"Learn to write your feelings." Hawkesbury Gazette 23 July 2014: 11. Newspaper Source Plus.
Web. 12 June 2015.
Pipher, Mary Bray. Writing to Change the World. New York: Riverhead, 2006. Print.
Madden, Erin. "Literacy holds potential to change inmates' lives." Winnipeg Free Press (MB) 11
July 2011: B2. Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 12 June 2015.
Pipher, Mary Bray. Writing to Change the World. New York: Riverhead, 2006. Print.