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Empathy In The Village Watchman

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“There is no such thing as a stupid question”. This is a sentiment that is often heard, especially by those who are students and mentees. Although it is usually said in the hopes of encouraging an open dialogue, it is interesting that it needs to be said at all. Perhaps it is because as a society it is viewed that the individual who does not need to ask questions is regarded above those who do. They are usually regarded as smarter and quicker than the rest, measured by some sub category of Darwinism within the realm of knowledge. However, what if a question was regarded not as a telltale sign of what an individual lacks in knowledge but rather what they are attempting to gain? What if the act of a question was regarded as an act of empathy? …show more content…

More often than not, empathy is integral to not only the development and understanding of ourselves but as well as our interactions with others. Empathy is especially important in the medical field as it turns out that in order to find a cure, the Doctor must be able to understand a patient’s perspective from his or her situation. It could also be said that this concept could be extended to the patients and families as well in regards to understanding another’s perspective. In both Tempest Williams’s “The Village Watchman” and Anne Fadiman’s “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down”, the usage of questions could be seen as a method to engage not only the other characters in the story but also the reader in a journey of human compassion and …show more content…

For example, when Williams asks “What is it really like to be inside your body?”, Alan responds with “I can’t tell you what it’s like except to say I feel pain for not being seen as the person I am” (112). Uncle Alan’s answer to Williams’s question is a powerful example of the way questions can be used to invoke empathy. The sadness and bittersweet adversity that he faces living with mental illness is emulated from his answer which is also weighted even heavier when both Williams and the reader are exposed to the fact that he is also aware of how outsiders view him differently because of his mental illness. It is important to note that by using questions, the author is able to not only share other perspectives of the characters but also add to the intimacy of the perspective that is needed for the reader to truly analyze the situation at

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Through the interlocked stories of six characters, Mitchell changes his portrayal of power and superiority from one based on superficial measures such as race and civility to one based on innate altruism, and in the process, he effectively changes the reader’s perspective on the value of compassion and selflessness. CHANGE TO RACE With the novel opening into The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing, an American white man, the reader attributes the first sign of power to race. Set in the 19th century, an era saturated with racism and prejudice, Ewing embodies these notions in his diary, effectively influencing the opinions of the reader through his nuanced biases. The journal tells the story of the power struggle between the European imperialist

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Emotions are a key part of any book, most authors write books with the intent of eliciting a certain response or emotion. Sherwood Anderson is no different, every chapter in Winesburg, Ohio is written to provoke the reader to think about the obvious as well as the hidden ideas. Hands and Paper Pills both produce a similar feeling in the reader, this feeling is sympathy. The two characters Wing Biddlebaum and Doctor Reefy experience hardship in their life although this hardship is one the reader may not have experienced; it is difficult not to feel some sympathy for the two characters. While most readers will feel sympathy for both character which character they feel more sympathy towards may differ.

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Empathy -- to step outside of one’s emotions and submerge within another’s. To the chagrin of the global community, there is a prominent deficit of that inherent attribute. Arguably, a growing population has fallen as victims to passive, unconscious emotions and fail to see the importance of radiating empathy within their everyday lives. Yet through the sea of indifference lies literature that teaches the significance of empathy, one being Harper Lee’s unforgettable novel: To Kill a Mockingbird.

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Listen to me without pity. I cannot use your pity.” , the use of repetition is effective in creating empathy towards her situation instead of pity. Through the use of figurative language like rhetorical questions, metaphors, imagery and repetition, the author is able to convey a vivid sense of what living in poverty is really like. This is intended to make the reader feel empathy towards those who are poor.

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But searching for the answers will still benefit us, and also the society, in the long

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Although, children should really be encouraged to think of their own questions, taking greater responsibility for their learning (Loxley et al., 2014). Hollins et al. , (2001) agrees with the use of questioning to prompt the children during a fair test, stating how the teacher can help refine a prediction for the children by the use of open-ended

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