How does Deborah Ellis make me so empathetic? She manages to tap into my mind and make me feel bad for these people I don't even know. I mean all through Breadwinner I felt so much Empathy for Parvana.
I have no idea what it's like to be pregnant. If Deborah Ellis was writting a book on the pains of being pregnant then she would have to manage to make me feel empathy for a pregnant person. But still the question remains, how do authors make their readers feel empathy?
I believe that authors just put down the foundation for empathy and the readers do the rest.
"Afghanistan needs more illiterate thugs like you," Father said. One of the soldiers hit him in the face. Blood dripped onto his Shalwar Kameez.
-Breadwinner, pg. 31
I felt empathy when Deborah Ellis wrote this because I imagined that I was wearing my favourite outfit and it just got ruined by these mean men who just came into my house randomly.
Deborah Ellis didn't expect me to connect it to that for all she knows I could of connected that I was in Afghanistan.
So in conclusion authors don't make Empathy we do.
Andy, this is a very thoughtful post. You have gone in a very different direction then many of your peers with this explanaition and it required some good insight. When you say that "authors just put down the foundation for empathy and the readers do the rest," I completely agree with you. But I am curious, what do you think that foundation includes?
ReplyDeleteAndy, i totally agree with your post. It was different from everyone else,i think that it was very good and you used really exciting and interesting examples in your post!
ReplyDeletei think that when you said "the author just puts the foundation and we do the rest" i had never looked at it like that, but now since you said it, it makes sense!
Good job Andy, keep it up! :D