Empathy is a very important part of an individual's life. It helps us understand others and feel connected with individuals at a different level. In many works of art, and literature there are plenty of themes that the authors are trying to get across to its readers. Reading literature is one of the areas where the reader feels as he or she is being part of a different world. In the novel "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens the main character Pip goes through many experiences in order to become part of the upper class. One of the themes in the novel is how being part of a certain social class can impact an individual's life and this theme played a crucial role in the novel. First of all, the main character in the novel wanted to be wealthy so he could be part of the upper class. Second by reading the novel, it helps readers understand how people are treated differently due to their social class, and at last reading, literature exposes us to different people and themes which help us understand others. By reading this novel it helps an individual understand what the main character in the novel is going through which we can use to …show more content…
By reading literature we become part of a different world which later we can use to interpret things in the real world. For example according to the article, "Do art and literature cultivate empathy", the author states "Exposure to literature and the sorts of movies that do not involve car chases might nurture our capacity to get inside the skins of other people".1 Through literature we are able to experience things in a different way. It can help us be in another person's skin and soul. Also, "the novelist Barbara Kingsolver has written, "literature sucks you into another psyche".2 It is certainly true when we read novels we become part of a different world. Through this fantasy world, we learn about other characters and get to know
...the rich (higher class) refuse to help the poor (lower class). Having this included in The Pearl,definitely shows you that their are many social problem in their culture. Finding familiar elements in literature can improve your understanding and enjoyment of the reading. I believe this because when you make a connection with the story you tend to have better understanding because you can relate it to other literature you have read and see the similarities. It also adds to your enjoyment of the book because when you see these connections it gives you a deeper meaning of what the other is say. It also allows you to predict possible events to come in the story. I would definitely recommend reading How to Read Like Literature Professor before you read your next novel. Doing so would not only further your skills as a reader, but also improve your enjoyment of reading.
When you read, especially fiction, you experience a broad sweep of human life. You gain access to the thoughts of others, look at history through another person’s eyes and learn from their mistakes, something that you otherwise would not be able to experience.
readers a dose of reality and human experience. People read literature and end up learning
reflects upon the theme of the novel. As it highlights the fact that if people in the society
Literature is such a beautiful thing because it does not give us an answer to it's questions. There are so many iffy spots that leave us to develop our own thoughts and feelings toward the piece of work. This is an interesting factor because at many times it affects us in a different way and can develop us as an individual. When reading a piece of literature, one person can interpret it in different ways than another person reading the same piece of work. I remember analyzing poems with my English class in the previous years and when we were asked to interpret it, we all had different answers. Sometimes what I got out of the poem didnt even go close to the direction that my classmate was going in. However, when I saw it from her view I saw more of where they were coming from I learned more about them.
Empathy in literature is a great way by which a writer succeeds in putting the reader in someone else’s shoe, proven efficiently by Charles Dickens in his literary fiction Great Expectations. To emphasize, the reader is made to feel the extent of submission that the main character Pip had to bear. With this in mind, his abusive sister Mrs. Joe who always considered him as a burden and the ever-insulting Estella who considered him coarse, and insignificant; forces the reader to re-experience the character’s agony. Next, Biddy is presented as a caring soul who takes care of disabled Mrs. Joe after the almost fatal attack on her by Dolge Orlick, a revengeful, slouching, and a bitter person. In other words, the reader rides on the tide of compassion
Empathy is the term used for emotional understanding. Empathy is a special skill that many characters in To Kill a Mockingbird possess or develop throughout the course of the story. Harper Lee shows the importance of empathy throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Atticus being empathetic, Atticus teaching the kids to empathize or them empathizing themselves in certain situations. Empathy is truly the great gift of humanity.
Empathy is used to create change in the world by reaching out to the emotions of people and attending to them. It is used to help others learn and decide on matters that would not be reasonable without feelings attached to them. Empathy helps bring together communities that would have long ago drifted apart, but instead welcomed all who were different. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. This attribute of human-beings really allows us to not only attend to situations as if they were our own, but it allows us to feel most of what others feel because humans are very much alike in some ways. In many of the articles and novels that we have read this quarter, characters from different pieces of context have portrayed empathy whether it was toward
By appreciating literature, one not only receives a wonderful story but is also given the chance to grow with the characters and learn
"I must entreat you to pause for an instant, and go back to what you know of my childish days, and to ask yourself whether it is natural that something of the character formed in me then" - Charles Dickens
Importance of Social Class in Charles Dickens's Great Expectations Social class played a major role in the society depicted in Charles Dickens's Great Expectations. Social class determines the manner in which a person is treated and their access to education. Yet, social class does not define the character of the individual. Many characters were treated differently because of their social class in Great Expectations. Seeing the contrast between how the poor and the rich were treated will give a clearer understanding of how much social class mattered.
Essay Title- Examine how either text represents EITHER class OR gender. Are these representations problematic or contradictory? How do they relate to the plot and structure of the novel?
It allowed me to view that different layers of social classes and how I was able to relate it into my own life. Growing up, I was born into a poor family. My parents had my sister and I when they were in their mid-teens; therefore they were forced to drop out of school to raise us. We had little money, lived in a bad neighborhood, and struggled to make it. When I was 5 years old we lived with my grandparents for about a year. My dad received a minimum wage job that was good enough for us to rent a 1 bedroom apartment. Eventually, my father received a job at a local production facility and started making decent money. We finally got out of the bad neighborhood and rented a 3 bedroom apartment where we lived for several years and eventually my parents bought a house in a small town where they currently live. After reading the chapter, I realized that I’ve occupied a couple of these “social classes” as I was growing up. We lived in the “underclass/working poor” for a few years and then about the time I was 10 years old my father received a better paying job and we moved into the working class. I hope one day when I receive my Chemistry degree I may move up even higher. One thing I realized is although I’ve been poor and slowly moved up the “social class” ladder, I believed it’s made be a better person. It has pushed me to appreciate and take care of things that I have because everything that I own I’ve worked hard for. I believe
We read about characters confronting life experiences in some way like our own and sometimes find ourselves caught up with the struggles of a character. Each reader gets a new and unique event and the words speak to us now, telling us the truths about human life which are relevant to all times. Literature enriches us by putting words to feelings.
... between the characters play the central role in the action of the story. These differences affect the ways in which these characters interact, they create the conflict in the story, and they affect the way the reader feels about and reacts to each of the characters. In making the issue of social class the focus of these two works, the authors successfully communicate to the readers their belief that, no matter how hard we might try to avoid it, class is indeed a major factor in today's society.