Empathy In The Village Watchman

“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?

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

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