Flipper Lee

Professor Ogden
English 1A
June 13, 2015
Cover Letter
This is the first time that I have written an evaluation essay. It took me the whole week
to prepare my ideas and gather sources, but I got stuck on finding good sources since the
author is not very well-known. This essay assignment has required much more work
compared to the last three weeks. This is also my first time writing an essay which requires
using external sources; however, my tutor helped me with finding them. After finishing the
first draft, I immediately gave it to a partner to write a revision. I find this very helpful
because I get another perspective on my writing which undoubtedly improves it. Indeed,
there are so many challenges, such as with external sources which sometimes led me away
from the topic that I was focusing on. In addition, the organization of the essay was difficult
for me even though I did a lot of research on how to organize it. This is not an easy essay by
any means, but I was able to complete the writing in three days. Overall, I am uncomfortable
with almost every aspect of this essay, so I rejoice in the fact that I can finish it.

Week 4 Essay Assignment

Tobias Wolff said, A true piece of writing is a dangerous thing, it can change your life.
The quote explains the possibility of how writing can have a huge impact on an individual.
The writer has a belief similar to Mary Piphers, for she believes that writing should change
the world. Pipher is a therapist who felt a calling to write and has written many books, one of
which is Writing to Change the World. Her book includes perspectives on writing as well as
personal accounts of growth throughout her early years and into adulthood. She uses a lot of
quotes from historical and current figures as points of inspiration, especially those who have
inspired her like Anne Frank and Nelson Mandela. In this book, she includes her unique
observations and compares essays to provide evidence of how a beginning writer can be
effective. To sum up, the main point in this book is to tell readers how to write effectively in
order to transform the world for the better.
Not every person may agree with Piphers suggestions or even outlook. Some people
may say they are only writing to gain popularity instead of attempting to change anything. In
my opinion, the purpose of writing is to bring readers to a different era, place, or
environment, like a kind of time machine or portal. For example, when I read parts of the
Bible for the first time, my mind was able to imagine every story or situation so vividly.
These situations are the message that the book brings to me which leads my mind to think so
clearly. During the process of creating these images in my mind, a lot of questions are formed
concerning the story. Some questions may lead me to change what I believe to be true; other
questions may improve or build upon the array of knowledge that I have. Therefore, Mary
Pipher is right in believing that writing can indeed change the world because messages are
always present in writing.

Mary Piphers book, Writing to Change the World, leads readers to think about what
writing truly is. One of the chapters in her book, Writing to Connect, illustrates how
personal connections are vital in writing. She said, When I read Anne Franks diary, I lost
my spiritual innocence. This quote shows she experienced a profound change in her maturity
when she read Anne Franks diary. The word spiritual innocence is used to explain the
changes to her imagination and her understanding of the world. The reason she said this is to
magnify the power of writing. Certainly, when anyone reads anothers writing, they probably
feel a sense of compassion for the protagonist. The ability to connect with readers rouses a
level of thinking that brings readers to a deeper understanding. Thus, they probably do not
realize that they have been heavily influenced by mere words. For example, one of the
changes may be more understanding about the world. They realize they are not the only one
that has had bad experiences, which may lead the reader to see a glimmer of hope and think
more positively. Accordingly, writing can change the world by allowing readers to relate to
fictional or real experiences which can then change their perceptions of the world.
There are many people who believe writing can change the world as Mary Pipher does.
For example, Joe Bunting wrote an article, Writing to Change the World Just Because We
Can. He said the reason he wants to write is because he can change the world by writing. He
said that statistics dont change the world because they are just numbers which do not mean
anything. However, a number can be effective. For example, an average rating is also a
statistics number. What do people think when their test source is lower than the average
rating? As a good student, they probably will feel guilty and try to do better next time. This
shows that statistics are influential, which proves that indeed, writing can also change the
society. Another example from Joe Bunting is about writing to change. He states, Amusing,
instructing and keeping interest is important in writing and important in life, but the most
significant and influential act we do in life is create and build relationships. It changes the

world. His idea is that relationships between writing and readers can transform society. He
believes that it is the best part of writing. Strong relationships can produce stronger emotions
from readers. Thus, writing with the purpose of simply developing a bond with readers can
heavily influence the world.
Renowned writer George Orwell, on the other hand, explains his point of view on
writing. He wrote a short essay entitled Why I Write in which he highlights the fact that he
writes merely for the sake of writing, not for the sake of changing the world. He believed that
knowing the authors background is important in order to assess a writers motives. In the
second half of the essay, he mentions there are four motivations for writers, which are sheer
egoism, aesthetic enthusiasm, historical impulse, and political purpose. He describes each
individual motivation briefly and clearly. This seems to be the total opposite idea compared to
Mary Piphers, who of course focuses on writing to change the society. However, George
Orwell did not mention anything about changing the world. His idea is similar to Mary
Piphers because reading the article of the motivations that Orwell mentioned leads to more
understanding. However, his essay can also change the world because some readers may find
the purpose of their writing to be one of the motivations he outlines but are obviously
influenced by his ideas. Therefore, the possibility of writing to change the world is ever
present.
Pipher also illustrates how knowing your voice is important to writing. However, it does
not have to be the main purpose of writing for every writer. An article from The Atlantic
called Voice Isnt the Point of Writing by Noah Berlatsky proves that writers do not
necessarily need to find their voice in order to write effectively. Pipher says, Part of finding
your voice involves finding the right form of writing for yourself. The quote explains how a
writer must identify their voice in order to write about themselves. However, writing is not

only writing about the self. Noah Berlatsky said, The truth is, if you want to get paid as a
writer, finding your own voice can be a distractioneven a hindrance. The quote explains
that finding a voice can be difficult even though the job of a writer is to write. Before a writer
writes out a voice, he or she has probably edited it in order to persuade readers to continue
with their composition. He also notes, The voice you hear in your head, the language you
speak to yourselfthat's not just your voice or your language. The quote explains how the
voice is a tool for connecting between people. As a result, it is sometimes necessary to edit
your voice in order to ensure that others understand a point. In conclusion, voice is not as
important as Mary Pipher believes, although writing to change the world can still be achieved
without it.
According to Pipher, the whole idea of writing is to give a heartfelt message. Not every
detail in her book is important, but her book has provided many good reasons for me to write.
However, she points out the point of writing to change is popular since she is not only one
talk about the idea. Since there do not have many sources that critics Piphers idea that I can
find, I believe her idea of writing to change is very common. Therefore, Piphers book is
mostly trustworthy and it may helpful to some writers who get lost on writing motivation.
Writing can lead readers to think thoughtfully and deeply, which may affect the world.
Writing must form some kind of affection. If not, it is not a language of art.

Works Cited
Berlatsky, Noah. "'Voice' Isn't the Point of Writing." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company,
29 Nov. 2014. Web. 13 June 2015.
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/11/finding-your-voice-as-a-writeroverrated/382946/.

Bunting, Joe. "Writing to Change the World Just Because We Can - The Write Practice." The
Write Practice RSS. 2 Feb. 2013. Web. 13 June 2015. http://thewritepractice.com/becausewe-can/.

Orwell, George. "Why I Write." Orwell. Web. 13 June 2015.

http://orwell.ru/library/essays/wiw/english/e_wiw
.
Pipher, Mary Bray. "Chapter 3 What You Alone Can Say" Writing to Change
the World. New York: Riverhead, 2006. Page 47. Print.

Hi Flipper,
It is a great writing! There are many examples to prove your argument
which I interest. In the last paragraph, I think it is too short. I think Mary
Pipher is not a therapist, she is a psychologist. It seems like you have
researched for a long time. Those resources are really good for the essay.
There are a few grammar mistakes that I found, and I highlight it for you.
Your essay will become better if you continue to work on it. I got some
idea from your essay that can improve my essay. Your essay is very
helpful for me to understand some of the ideas on Writing to Change the
World. I agree with you that Mary Piphers book mostly trustworthy and helpful.
Her books help me a lot in writing problem. I read your cover letter and see how
uncomfortable you wrote this essay. When you finish your essay, you will feel happy about
your achievement.
Kasper Lee