Leslie Carpio

Professor Ogden
English 1A
May 29, 2015
Writing to Change the World by Mary Pipher (Summary of Chapter 1)
Through the course of history life never expressed its self easy. Pipher states, Wisdom is
in short supply. Language, which maps the ways we think, is often just another marketing tool
(3). In other words, people are starting to lose wisdom for one another and are slowly
transitioning into the opposite of wisdom. Those who are judgmental would simply walk pass
homeless individuals without even acknowledging them as human and quickly judge them as
it, it is something to stay away from. But at the end of the day this it is a person with a heart
and soul. His or her goal is to survive the next day as like everyone else and is much of a human
being as any of us. In this society people have changed from being morally respectful to a world
full of hatred, greed and everyone for themselves. People have lost the connection between right
or wrong and kindness or rude, and because of that the world can be a really small and dark
place. Pipher emphasize that people acting out of good can radiant positive changes like a ripple
effect. One act of kindness can lead to many more act of kindness, and hopefully it can bring
back the connection people once use to have for one another. Through out chapter 1 she explains
different types of writing to help people connect and how writing can be a powerful skill to have.
Outline of Chapter 1
I. Anne Frank made a connection before the Nazi murdered her
A. Anne Frank left a real powerful message that states, give whatever you have to give,
you can always give something, even if its a simple act of kindness.
B. Although her life was taken at an early age, her writing has lived on teaching people
to be responsible and help others in need.
II. Change can be effective through writers of propaganda and it can be as powerful as
change writers.
A. Writing does not need to be in a form of a great literature to make change, but it can
be as simple as a speech or poem.
B. Writers of propaganda aim for all people, connecting people by keeping it creative
and using conscious control. Their goal is to keep the readers interested and lock on
the important message to keep them reading.
III. Moral writer aim for purity and clarity in their writing to impact readers.
A. Moral writers express attention to a subject that can be problematic or triumphic, but
it can cause a ripple affect to encourage society to take action of what they believe
and/or for a change.
B. A film made by Morgan Spurlocks entertaining pushes McDonalds to offer healthier
choice in their fast food menu. He ate nothing but McDonalds for a month and his
health became poor due to the lack of healthy choices McDonald had on their menu.

Vocabulary
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Beleaguered- to surround with military forces.

Anna Frank was a diarist and writer and she is famous after her diary was published.
Indigenous- originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native.
Horticulturalist- a person who practices in garden cultivation and management.
Impoverished- makes a person or area poor.

Discussion Questions
1. At the end of the exhibit, attendees hear the voice of a young girl reading Annes essay
Give, p20
What is so important about the essay Give?
2. by telling the truth, and by encouraging civil, public discussion. p7
As the government continues to hide the truth of what is important. Why should the
public become involved?
3. Most adults consider themselves too busy to read. And children reared on television and
PlayStation have shorter attention spans. p29
Why are adults and children too busy to read?
Analysis
According to Pipher, writing comes in many different styles and there is no right or
wrong way of writing. As long as the message is positive or is to make a change for the good,
will always be consider a good writer. Writing doesnt have to be fancy with big words, and most
of the time big words can make it harder for some people with low vocabulary or knowledge to
understand and this can cause the reader to struggle. I can see how powerful writing is based on
how Pipher uses example of many famous people who helped make the world a better place.
Writing to change is a good tool to have and without it the world would be disconnected. I think
Piphers concern is that most writers in this era are more concerned about writing what is
trending or what makes them money, and are less concerned about writing stories about how to
help the world and others. Not to mention, there are more movies on superheroes, and books
about wizards that have no truth to them. Although these movies and books are great, but they
dont show the true horror of the real world that most people face and the need for help they
desperately require.