Compassion and empathy

ASSIGNMENT OVERVIEW

For this paper, choose a different story from our Week 2 assignment. It should be different from the story you wrote about for Paper 1.

Then, consider the following question: What does this story have to teach us about empathy for others?

The article “Does Reading Fiction Make Us Better People?” examines the idea that reading fiction enhances our compassion and empathy—that is, our ability to identify with other people’s experiences and relate to what they feel and think in their “interior lives” (Hammond). An interior life refers to the thoughts and feelings that aren’t always shared publicly. In literature, the narrator usually has access to these thoughts and feelings that aren’t said aloud.

In responding to this question, your focus will be on the themes that arise from your close readings of the story. You will develop an argument on what the story teaches us about empathy and how it is conveyed. It is helpful to ask:

• Which characters does the author want you, the reader, to empathize with?
• Are there any characters that you dislike, but still empathize with? Why do you think that is?

In addition, you will use evidence from at least one of the following articles to support your argument:

Schmidt, Megan. “How Reading Fiction Increases Empathy and Encourages Understanding.” Discover Magazine. discovermagazine.com. 28 Aug. 2020.

Hammond, Claudia. “Does Reading Fictions Make Us Better People?” BBC. 2 June 2019.

Castano, Emanuele and David Kidd. “Reading Literary Fiction Improves Theory of Mind.” Science. www.sciencemag.org. 18 Oct. 2013; 342 (6156): 377-80.

Coleman, John. “The Benefits of Poetry for Professionals.” Harvard Business Review, 2012. https://hbr.org/2012/11/the-benefits-of-poetry-for-pro

Thorpe, J.R. “Why Reading Poetry Is Good For Your Brain.” Bustle, 20 Apr. 2017. https://www.bustle.com/p/why-reading-poetry-is-good-for-your-brain-51884

Most of the articles in this list were referenced in the Week 1 Insights (see above). You should also refer to “Week 6 Insights: Integrating Sources Using Your Own Voice” for guidance on working with your chosen article.

CRAFTING YOUR THESIS FOR PAPER 2

For Paper 2, your analysis of the story’s theme will focus on how your reading of the primary source (the story) and secondary sources (the article) cause you to think about empathy.

Sample thesis structure:

[Story X] helps us to understand [theme/issue Y] by promoting empathy through [warrant 1], [warrant 2], and [warrant 3]

Sample thesis statement:

The conflicts between male and female characters in Susan Glaspell’s story “A Jury of Her Peers” helps readers have more empathy for the oppression of women through its depiction of Mrs. Wright’s marriage, the women’s roles, and the inequality between men and women in the story.