“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
Observing each character, the book draws attention to the inner dialogue and struggles they
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.
In life, changes in character can come from the exposure of vulnerability and humility. Richard Peck and Ben Mikaelsen both wrote quality pieces on the work of realization in weakness which evolved or inferred an evolution in personality of the character. Mr. Peck’s “Priscilla And The Wimps” follows the story of a school bully who faces indignity when a fellow student stands up to him. Mr. Mikaelsen’s “Touching Spirit Bear” revolves around the experiences of an aggressive young man who is sent to an island to learn how to release his anger and eventually heal. While these two stories follow different plots, they come together with their ability to demonstrate the changes in personality from facing shame.
First, the Kitty Genovese Article Reflection answers the essential question that empathy can create a stronger, more just society because if Kitty Genovese´s community had at least a little empathy, she would have never died and their society would be more united and they would have saved a person’s life. The Kitty Genovese story is about how a young woman was walking home after work, late at night, and she was stabbed to death while her neighbors just watched and listened to her cries for help. In the article reflection, I had to write about why her neighbors did not
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.
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
Compassion is needed in situations of hard times, which is why the novel Night shows a great importance of compassion because showing kindness in the smallest way can make a big difference. To begin, Elie showed compassion towards his father. For instance, Elie stayed alive, and didn’t give into the beatings, he gave up most of his rations of food and always made sure his father came before himself. If Elie were to just give up, and go on being like the rest of the father and sons in the novel, his father would see no purpose to staying alive. Next, one of the Polish guards tell the Jews, “hell doesn’t last forever.”
At the start of the movie “Stand by Me”, four boys go on a journey to find a deceased classmate. Throughout the movie, they experience many different emotions. In the beginning, they are quite anxious to find the dead body, but when they discover their classmate their feelings change. Although they don’t quite know it, they start to understand the meaning of empathy. Once the boys find Brower’s body, they show empathy by how they deal with the situation.
Poetry is an effective means used to convey a variety of emotions, from grief, to love, to empathy. This form of text relies heavily on imagery and comparison to inflict the reader with the associated feelings. As such, is displayed within Stephen Dunn 's, aptly named poem, Empathy. Quite ironically, Dunn implores strong diction to string along his cohesive plot of a man seeing the world in an emphatic light. The text starts off by establishing the military background of the main protagonist, as he awaits a call from his lover in a hotel room.
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.
To Suffer or Not to Suffer As human beings, we try to eschew from the suffering and adversities that plague human morality. Nonetheless, society remains drawn to the surplus of tragedies in plays, movies, and literary works. Not only do these works provide an escape from our own hardships, but suffering and tragedy is a significant aspect to the development of human society. Personally, I have experienced my own share of sorrow, trauma, and difficulties in life. While they may not be as severe as those faced by the characters in A Doll’s House and Never Let Me Go, a pervasive theme still manifests in the presence of suffering.
Everything from how her interactions with her family to her perception of her environment and how it evolves throughout the story allow the reader to almost feel what the narrator is feeling as the moves through the story. In the beginning, the only reason the reader knows there may be something wrong with the narrator is because she comes right out and says she may be ill, even though her husband didn’t believe she was (216). As the story moves on, it becomes clear that her illness is not one of a physical nature, but of an emotional or mental one. By telling the story in the narrator’s point of view, the reader can really dive into her mind and almost feel what she’s feeling.
But searching for the answers will still benefit us, and also the society, in the long
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
English Mid-Year Introflection How might empathy help others or societies? “Empathy is about standing in someone else 's shoes, feeling with his or her heart, seeing with his or her eyes. Not only is empathy hard to outsource and automate, but it makes the world a better place” (Daniel H.Pink). This is what empathy is. Empathy is really important to make the world actually work well.