To Change the World

Summary

Edmundson begins by directly asking should we as writers strive to change the world. Is it even possible to change the world through writing? Is it ethical? Edmundson claims that Percy Shelley certainly believed so. Shelley specifically stressed the importance of writing for language, which he believed would be dead if it were not for writers. Furthermore, writing edifies the mind and is also a way for individuals to escape their own physical and mental bondage. Shelley often grounded his aforesaid notion to his Prometheus, who was not only physically tethered to a rock but also mentally bound by vengeance. Eventually, Prometheus learns that in order to truly be free he must be nothing like his oppressor. This sentiment that all individuals are tethered was not only important to Shelley but to almost all romantic writes including Whitman, Emerson, and Dickinson. Other non-romantic writers such as Marx and Rousseau are also “professed chain breakers.” However, many now look suspiciously at “chain breaker” writers; some people would even assert that writers like Marx have actually influenced more harm than good. Even if the content is intended to refine people, was it written with the intent to better the reader or to satisfy the author’s hubris? Some writers believe that writing changes absolutely nothing, because eventually, sublimation is often rejected by the masses. Edmundson feels that the thought of changing the world is something a myriad of new writers rejects, but he believes they should try. Edmundson ends by claiming that writing keeps us awake; one must be awake to have ideas. Without ideas, we’re nothing more than primitive beings.

Is it Possible? Yes.

While Edmundson ponders whether or not writing changes the world and numerous other authors reject the challenge, writing is changing the world. Their writing is changing the world. From the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs to the present-day, ubiquitous emojis, writing has influenced the world for centuries and will continue to do so. For example, I would not be sitting here writing this exact paper had Edmundson not written his book Why Write and while this current endeavor is of no significant importance in the grand scheme of things, Edmundson’s writing is currently influencing my life (and all the lives of my fellow classmates in Dr. Baker’s English 4995 class.) It is understandable that Edmundson exudes admiration for romantic authors for I too have witnessed the beauty of their words that are bound in between the covers, but I was perplexed that Edmundson did not debate the significance of the writing that is found on social media and the role of religious texts. These genres may not be considered “normal, standard” types of writing, but these texts have authors and let’s be honest, they transform the world much more than Dickinson, Whitman, and Emerson do nowadays.

Social Media

In George Orwell’s candid essay Why I Write, Orwell reveals what he believes are four explicit motives for writing. While Orwell claims that “they exist in different degrees in every writer, and in any one writer the proportions will vary from time to time, according to the atmosphere in which he is living”; he concludes that writers write (or type) out of “sheer egoism, aesthetic enthusiasm, historical impulse, and political purpose (4-5).” Despite Orwell’s essay being published in 1946, these motives are still the reasons why a myriad of individuals fervently take to social media in order to produce their desired status, tweet, meme, hashtag, or arrangement of emojis. And although social media is sometimes criticized for its triviality and some would argue that it tethers us more than it sets us free, numerous individuals have discovered that it is a space of opportunity, community, dialogue, and seriousness. Naturally and as Orwell declares, egoism will be the motivation of some. Almost all social media users have been accosted by an unflattering, poorly-lit, shirtless bathroom selfie that is accompanied by some sanctimonious rant and a never-ending onslaught of hashtags, and while these images and their accompanied texts are not considered the most prestigious genres of writing, they have undoubtedly made an impact. Of course, egoism and the other three motives are presented in numerous ways on social media. Aesthetic enthusiasm is readily available and so are the self-professed judges of it, but historical impulse and political purpose are the two most deduced motives on social media. Social media is a medium through which the voices of the world can congregate in one location to share what matters to them. Through conversations people discover a public space of apparently endless possibilities in which they can find common ground with total strangers or closest friends, attempting to unveil the truth and make progress towards the discovery of much needed solutions. Additionally, now more than ever constituents are voicing their opinion. Hashtags such as #imwithher and #makeamericagreatagain were each shared by millions of individuals during the 2016 presidential election. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram are providing a voice for millions of individuals daily worldwide and considering that many of these sites are illegal in many countries indicates their influence and power. The writing found on these sites provides public discourse beyond videos of kittens; the writing stimulates genuine conversations between cultures and political parties and can lead entire social movements with a single hashtag.

Religious Texts

Innumerable works of literature have been written by a plethora of individuals over the ages, but none are as masterful as the religious texts, especially, the Bible and the Qur’an--the two holy books that are cherished by more than half the world’s population. As of 2015, there were 2.3 billion Christians and 1.8 billion Muslims in the world (Hackett.) Unfortunately, there are no accurately recorded figures, but experts estimate that approximately five billion Bibles and three billion Qur'ans have been sold throughout the course of history. However, one must not know the exact number of copies sold to witness their influence. I grew up in a small town in Tennessee and while others and I were not always certain of what we would be doing on some days, we knew that our hind ends would be in those pews every Sunday morning. But while the mastery of the Bible and the Qur’an are undeniable, following the reading of Edmundson’s chapter, I wonder if these two holy books have caused more harm than good and if they truly untether individuals from their earthly primitivism. Granted neither I nor anyone else can accurately generalize an entire religion and its adherents, but we can research and witness the effects. From my own personal experience, I have seen the Bible provide the reason that numerous congregations gather on Sunday mornings but also divide them. For example, my grandmother is a southern, Church-of-Christ woman to her soul and while this characteristic brings her a community of likeminded individuals, it causes her to be quite skeptical of Catholics. Different interpretations cause division and varied justifications. Some individuals have interpreted a religious text as a mean to justify slavery, colonization, and murder, while others were inspired by the same text to dedicate their entire lives to the peaceful caring of others. While people do pervert the messages of religious texts, this statement does not change the fact that millions of people have lost their lives due to interpretations. This world faces many challenges, but I believe that striving to overcome religious differences is the most exacting one that we face. Many religious individuals believe that the messages found in religious texts untether them spiritually, but these messages certainly do not untether them physically. Simply google the number of Christian denominations in the United States alone or a map showing where world religions are found and one will observe that the majority are geographically chained to their similar group.

Conclusion

As I stated previously, Edmundson’s lack of mentioning the impact of social media and religious texts perplexed me. What would Edmundson think? Would he agree that social media gives millions a voice that they would not otherwise have and that it often provides access to dialogue that helps them #staywoke? Does Edmundson also believe that religious texts are the most divisive forms of literature in existence? Do these two pertinent genres cause more harm or good? Does Edmundson agree with George Orwell’s four main motives and that shirtless bathroom selfies are a direct result of egoism? Edmundson might just need to write another why write book in order to address these pressing questions, but regardless of the questions that are going unanswered, it is irrefutable that social media and religious texts change the world. They shape the world.

Works Cited

Hackett, Conrad and David McClendon. “Christians remain world’s largest religious group, but they are declining in Europe.” Pew Research Center. N.p., 05 Apr. 2017. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.

Orwell, George. Why I Write. New York: Penguin, 2005. Print.