<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>In this paper, drawing on Husserl, as well as on certain other phenomenologists such as Merleau-Ponty and Richir, I claim that the phenomenon of the apprehension of the perspectives and emotions of literary characters deserves to be called <italic>literary empathy</italic>. In order to support this claim, I’ll firstly argue that empathy is principally an act of presentification closely related with perception, memory and imagination. Secondly, I’ll argue that <italic>literary empathy</italic> with literary characters is an imaginative reproduction of the reader’s bodily sedimentations under the instruction offered by the literary text. Thirdly, I’ll argue that through <italic>literary empathy</italic>, a reader forms a peculiar intersubjective link with the literary character. The subjects in play are thus the real existential “I” and the imagined Other. Asymmetry of existence-positing and lack of interaction do not prevent the imagined characters from exerting an effective influence upon the reader and reconfiguring her actual life.</p>
</abstract>

In this paper, drawing on Husserl, as well as on certain other phenomenologists such as Merleau-Ponty and Richir, I claim that the phenomenon of the apprehension of the perspectives and emotions of literary characters deserves to be called literary empathy. In order to support this claim, I’ll firstly argue that empathy is principally an act of presentification closely related with perception, memory and imagination. Secondly, I’ll argue that literary empathy with literary characters is an imaginative reproduction of the reader’s bodily sedimentations under the instruction offered by the literary text. Thirdly, I’ll argue that through literary empathy, a reader forms a peculiar intersubjective link with the literary character. The subjects in play are thus the real existential “I” and the imagined Other. Asymmetry of existence-positing and lack of interaction do not prevent the imagined characters from exerting an effective influence upon the reader and reconfiguring her actual life.

On the Phenomenon of Literary Empathy

Phainomenon

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"On the Phenomenon of Literary Empathy"}

In this paper, drawing on Husserl, as well as on certain other phenomenologists such as Merleau-Ponty and Richir, I claim that the phenomenon of the...

On the Phenomenon of Literary Empathy

Published Online: May 17, 2021

Page range: 185 - 196

Received: Oct 15, 2021

Accepted: Nov 13, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/phainomenon-2021-0018

Keywords
imagination, empathy, presentification, fiction, bodily sedimentation

© 2021 Jing Shang, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

On the Phenomenon of Literary Empathy

Published Online: May 17, 2021

Page range: 185 - 196

Received: Oct 15, 2021

Accepted: Nov 13, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/phainomenon-2021-0018

Keywordsimagination, empathy, presentification, fiction, bodily sedimentation

© 2021 Jing Shang, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Keywords
imagination, empathy, presentification, fiction, bodily sedimentation