Mrs.White
English 12A
January 1, 2012
Compare and Contrast Essay
The power of the written word is incredible. Across the world and through out history, many pieces of written work have made a statement. It is crazy how a simple book, song, or speech can have such a big effect on a person(results may vary). Works can positively change one's life for the better. Please take caution when reading powerful novels though, they may lead to as follows: paranoia, bipolar thoughts, immaturity, violence, psychotic behavior, and murderous actions. Powerful written words may include but are not limited to the Holy Bible, Martin Luther's "I have a dream speech", Harold Camper's prediction of the end of the world, and the novel Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.
There are many written pieces that greatly change the life of an individual in a positive way. One of the most widely spread effective written works in my opinion is the Bible. It is a very powerful book that effects very many people. Growing up as a christian I have not personally experienced the life changing effects of the Bible, but my mom has. After discussing the subject with her she has told me all of the ways that her life has changed ever since she met my dad. My dad introduced my mom to the Bible and started bringing her to church. She said at first she didn't understand everything but after studying the Bible and taking in specific verses it had a great impact on her. While interviewing her she said, "It made me think about my life and the path I was headed down". She said that her life was not headed in a positive direction, but reading the Bible motivated her to live a better life for the glory of God. Not only do books like the Bible change a persons life, but so do speeches. Speeches have a tremendous effect on people especially when the speaker is a motivational figure. For example Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech on August 8, 1963. That day will forever be remembered because that speech effected the lives of thousands of people. It gave every American the confidence that they needed but at the same time encouraged them all to keep a nonviolent approach to ending segregation. At the end of Martin Luther King Jr's I Have a Dream speech he said, "In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred". This had great effect on society as as a whole. Americans followed Martin Luther King Jr's peaceful approach because they actually took to heart the words of I Have a Dream. The powerful words of Martin Luther King Jr. gave the country hope for the future and impacted the lives of many if not all Americans.
Unfortunately, not all written works are as comforting and positively influencing as the Bible and the I Have a Dream speech. In fact they influence people in the exact opposite way. For example, the end of the world "tribulation" prediction made by Harold Camping has had horrific effects on people. A few years ago a woman from California attempted to kill her two daughters along with herself to avoid experiencing the end of the world. This woman was extremely impacted by Camping's prediction. She believed that the end of the world was coming soon according to Camping, and so she thought that it would be a better idea to kill her daughters before they could experience a horrific end. In my opinion that woman must be sick in the head because no one in their right mind would kill their children in the first place. She was negatively impacted by this prediction to an extreme and as a result she attempted both murder and suicide. Another incident involving the negative effects of written work has to deal with Mark Chapman. Mark Chapman was an obsessive Beatles fan who killed John Lennon. After killing the singer, the cops found him sitting on the ground reading The Catcher in the Rye. This book written by J.D. Salinger changed his life. He was so involved with this novel and everything that took place in it that he actually thought that he was Holden Caulfield. He truly believed that he had to get rid of John Lennon because he was "phony". Although Mark Chapman may have been mentally ill, he was immensely effected by the written piece The Catcher in the Rye to the point where he committed homicide. It is insane how far a person will go because they are effected by written word.
The Holy Bible, Martin Luther's "I have a dream speech", Harold Camper's prediction of the end of the world, and the novel Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger are all powerful pieces of work. These powerful pieces of work have effected the lives of many individuals in unbelievable ways. Through examples from my mom to Mark David Chapman, written word can have immeasurable effects on people and the effects can be either detrimental or incredibly life changing in a positive way.
Unfortunately, not all written works are as comforting and positively influencing as the Bible and the I Have a Dream speech. In fact they influence people in the exact opposite way. For example, the end of the world "tribulation" prediction made by Harold Camping has had horrific effects on people. A few years ago a woman from California attempted to kill her two daughters along with herself to avoid experiencing the end of the world. This woman was extremely impacted by Camping's prediction. She believed that the end of the world was coming soon according to Camping, and so she thought that it would be a better idea to kill her daughters before they could experience a horrific end. In my opinion that woman must be sick in the head because no one in their right mind would kill their children in the first place. She was negatively impacted by this prediction to an extreme and as a result she attempted both murder and suicide. Another incident involving the negative effects of written work has to deal with Mark Chapman. Mark Chapman was an obsessive Beatles fan who killed John Lennon. After killing the singer, the cops found him sitting on the ground reading The Catcher in the Rye. This book written by J.D. Salinger changed his life. He was so involved with this novel and everything that took place in it that he actually thought that he was Holden Caulfield. He truly believed that he had to get rid of John Lennon because he was "phony". Although Mark Chapman may have been mentally ill, he was immensely effected by the written piece The Catcher in the Rye to the point where he committed homicide. It is insane how far a person will go because they are effected by written word.
The Holy Bible, Martin Luther's "I have a dream speech", Harold Camper's prediction of the end of the world, and the novel Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger are all powerful pieces of work. These powerful pieces of work have effected the lives of many individuals in unbelievable ways. Through examples from my mom to Mark David Chapman, written word can have immeasurable effects on people and the effects can be either detrimental or incredibly life changing in a positive way.
Works Cited
Chapter 27. Jarrett Schaefer. 2007. Peace Arch Entertainment. DVD.
Christensen, Christine A. Personal interview. 1 Jan. 2012.
"Martin Luther King's Speech: 'I Have a Dream' - The Full Text." abcNews. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Jan.2012. <http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/martin-luther-kings-speech-dream-full-text/story?id=14358231#.TwI2DdQS3is>.
"Mom Tries to Kill Kids, Self, Before 'Tribulation' Comes." Videosift. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Jan. 2012.<http://videosift.com/video/Mom-Tries-to-Kill-Kids-Self-Before-Tribulation-Comes?loadcomm=1>.
Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1951.
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