What is an example of empathy in literature?

For example, if you are watching a movie with the superb actress Meryl Streep, you may have an unconscious physical reaction when she expertly portrays emotions such as joy or fear. This reaction makes you empathize with her character by experiencing a similar emotion.

What does empathy mean in literature?

Definition. 1Narrative empathy is the sharing of feeling and perspective-taking induced by reading, viewing, hearing, or imagining narratives of another’s situation and condition. Narrative empathy plays a role in the aesthetics of production when authors experience it (Taylor et al.

Is reading fiction or nonfiction better?

Research, however, suggests that reading fiction may provide far more important benefits than nonfiction. For example, reading fiction predicts increased social acuity and a sharper ability to comprehend other people’s motivations.

What’s the opposite of empathy?

By definition, empathy is the opposite of apathy. Empathy is defined as “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another” — within + feeling or inside + suffering. Apathy is defined as “a lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern” — not + feeling or without + suffering.

Does narrative empathy exist in fiction?

Narrative empathy evidences Gerrig’s contention despite the paradox of fictional emotions, for narrative empathy transacts feelings through narrative representations. Readers and viewers can block feeling responses to fiction by reminding themselves of its unreality, but it takes an effort, according to Gerrig & Rapp.

What is the role of empathy in film?

Similarly, Roger Ebert described empathy in film: “The movies are like a machine that generates empathy. It lets you understand a little bit more about different hopes, aspirations, dreams and fears. It helps us to identify with the people who are sharing this journey with us.”

Can narration be empathetic?

Most of the existing empirical research on empathetic effects in narration concerns film (Tan 1996; Zillman 1991) although a number of researchers are investigating potentially empathy-inducing techniques using short fiction.

Which narrative techniques evoke empathetic responses?

Some of the techniques thought to evoke empathetic responses have been described in narratological terms (e.g., free indirect speech, narrative situations, etc.; Keen 2007: 92–9), though caution should be taken not to oversimplify predictions about the effects of particular narrative techniques, which are protean (cf. Sternberg 1982 ).