Julianne Chiaet's Novel Finding: Reading Literary Fiction Improves Empathy

Like Edmund Wilson says, “Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light.” This quote gives the reader an idea of when one reads a book, it allows one to look at every little thing of a bigger world and that can open up their imaginations and ideas. By reading, one can recognize more about what others are thinking or feeling, enriches one’s imagination, which advantages them to socialize in a wider range. Chiefly, reading can make one think more about their country’s society. Reading allows one to understand deeply of what others are thinking or feeling, and develop their ability to imagine various ideas. In the article, “Novel Finding: Reading Literary Fiction Improves Empathy,” written by Julianne Chiaet, she uses a tone

Throughout the article, she introduces studies which suggest “that literary fiction improves a reader’s capacity to understand what others are thinking and feeling.” (line 3,4) She then explains the results of the test which measures one’s “ability to infer and understand other people’s thoughts and emotions.” (line 9) By using a tone of a lecturer, it drags the reader’s attention to the effects that reading gives someone. With these tones, Chiaet tries to convey how reading is not only for entertainment but to allows the readers to reflect it to the real world. The poetry “There is no Frigate Like a Book” written by Emily Dickenson, she uses a simile to show the similarities between real-life transportation methods and a book. As the title says, she first says, “There is no frigate like a