Feeling bad for the Bad. An Empathetic Reading of Cormac McCarthy's "Child of God"

Dossier / Travail de Séminaire , 2013 , 28 Pages , Note: 1,0

Philologie Américaine - Littérature

This paper constitutes an inquiry into the problems of empathizing with unsympathetic characters in novels, specifically in Cormac McCarthy's novel "Child of God". It is both textually focused and extending its reflections beyond the scope of the novel.

The author questions the reasoning behind, and challenges for, an empathic reading of Cormac McCarthy's polarizing novel "Child of God", drawing on theories of empathy from several disciplinary perspectives. Literary definitions of empathy, as well as philosophical, sociological and psychological approaches to this phenomenon will be consulted to explore what makes reader identification with a challenging protagonist like Lester Ballard in "Child of God" possible.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Variations of a Feeling: Empathy, Sympathy and Compassion
  • Requirements for Empathy
  • Empathy for the Antagonist
• Challenges of Empathic Readings
  • Empathizing with Lester Ballard
  • Lester's Empathy
• Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This essay aims to explore the complex emotions and reactions evoked by Cormac McCarthy's novel "Child of God" and its controversial protagonist, Lester Ballard. It delves into the concept of empathy and how it plays out in the context of reading about a character who is deeply flawed and engages in morally reprehensible acts.

• The nature of empathy and its variations, particularly empathy, sympathy, and compassion.
• The challenges of engaging in empathic readings of unsavory characters.
• The interplay between the reader's understanding of Lester Ballard's motivations and their emotional response to his actions.
• The role of societal expectations and pressures in shaping our interpretations of fictional characters.
• The potential for empathy to act as a "psychological guide" towards compassion, even for characters who are difficult to like or understand.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction examines the diverse and often polarizing reactions to "Child of God," highlighting the seemingly involuntary feeling of sympathy that many readers experience for Lester Ballard despite his appalling actions. This leads to a discussion of the factors that might influence our emotional responses to characters who challenge societal norms and expectations.

Chapter 2 delves into the nuances of empathy, sympathy, and compassion, drawing on Martha Nussbaum's insights from "Upheavals of Thought." The essay explores the objective nature of empathy, its potential to guide compassion, and the distinctions between empathy, sympathy, and pity.

Chapter 3 examines the challenges of engaging in empathic readings of characters like Lester Ballard. It explores the tension between understanding a character's motivations and feeling sympathy or approval for their actions. The chapter also considers the role of societal expectations and pressures in shaping our interpretations of fictional characters and our willingness to empathize with them.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This essay focuses on the concept of empathy in the context of literary analysis, particularly in relation to the novel "Child of God." Key themes include the nature of empathy and its variations, the challenges of empathizing with unsavory characters, and the interplay between objective understanding and emotional response. The essay also draws on the work of Martha Nussbaum and Heinz Kohut, who provide valuable insights into the psychological and philosophical dimensions of empathy.

• Université: Free University of Berlin (John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies)
• Cours: Cormac McCarthy in Context
• Note: 1,0
• Auteur: Alena Saucke (Auteur)
• Année de publication: 2013
• Pages: 28
• N° de catalogue: V307276
• ISBN (ebook): 9783668052888
• ISBN (Livre): 9783668052895
• Langue: anglais
• mots-clé: Cormac McCarthy, Child of God, Empathy, problematic reading, literary analysis, character analyis, theory, definition empathy, sociology, philosophy, psychology, lester ballard, protagonist child of god, reader identification