The Empathic-ethical Model of Reading in Teaching Literature

Abstract

The focus of this paper is the explication of the empathic-ethical model of reading, developed on the basis of the theory of narrative empathy by Suzanne Keen, the psychological studies on connection of empathy and moral development by Martin Hoffman and the ethical criticism by Marta Nussbaum. This approach, based on a broader field of affective narratology and psychology of fiction (postulated in the works by Patrick C. Hogan, James Phelan, Keith Oatley, etc.), explores the narrative techniques leading to more effective empathic impact of a literary text, linking it to the reinforcement of the reader’s moral values, altruistic behavior and pro-social behavior. In this paper, we determined the links with the basic methodical-methodological principles of the modern methods of teaching literature, where the theory of narrative empathy and empathic-ethical reading may be important in establishing the teaching strategies for motivating students to read and interpret works of literature, and they are also strongly aligned with fulfilling the character-building educational goals. The presented insights on narrative empathy, empathic imagination and ethical criticism, introduced in the methodical context, are also evidence of existing but insufficiently utilized methodical potential of the modern interdisciplinary cognitive-narratological studies. As an integral part of the expertise-based teaching methodology, various theoretical concepts in studying narrativity and particularly the relationship between the emotions and the narrative may enrich the methodology with innovative approaches to works of literature, more inspiring both for the teacher and the students. In the final chapter of this paper, the methodological potentials of empathic-ethical model of reading were discussed on the examples of novels included in the school literature courses: A. Nanetti, My grandfather was a cherry tree and A. Cruz, The books that devoured my father.