Quincunx Posted March 8, 2003 Report Share Posted March 8, 2003 Is there any character or book or poem for which you feel empathy? Tonight I reread The Scarlet Letter, and find myself reading about Pearl and seeing Minta. . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peredhil Posted March 8, 2003 Report Share Posted March 8, 2003 Oh so mood dependent! Today, the person I am would reply... Arianne in the Cherryh Cyteen books. The essential lonliness of intelligence mixed with passion. Miles (or maybe Mark...) Vorsigan in the Bujold series. The constant whirl and reaction of trying to get through situation after situation while pretending some modicom of control. Perhaps Boromir in the LotR... The love for others that turns out to be helpless in the face of external influences and events. A sense of misuse by Destiny, even knowing it will all work to a greater good. Hmmm. This is a non-trivial question to me. I'll have to think on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Pointy One Posted March 8, 2003 Report Share Posted March 8, 2003 You know, there's plenty, but I forgot them all! Curses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwaihir Posted March 8, 2003 Report Share Posted March 8, 2003 At times Thorn in Cuckoo's Egg by C. J. Cherryh. Thorn has a lot that I read into Myth, but he isn't just Myth, because he had a childhood so I guess he's a Myth-me. The Jackal in Tale of Two Cities I couldn't tell you how "Success is Counted Sweetest" gets my empathy, but it really does. Maybe it's the whiny part of me that feels like it's not a victor. "Tell All the Truth" appeals to the diplomat in me. In fact, it's my signature on my guildl boards. Awesome Question, really made me think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reverie Posted March 8, 2003 Report Share Posted March 8, 2003 aye... too many from too many books... that I only remember what they were about not what they were. I guess, one would be the main charator: From the book "beowolf's children" Poor guy never caught a break in life... hmm, and I guess the Moon sisters in I think it was called... Sister Dark, Sister light... but am not certain... rev... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canid Posted March 8, 2003 Report Share Posted March 8, 2003 A well written book should have the reader feeling empathy for the characters. That said, Strabo from the Landover series by Terry Brooks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigil StarGazer Posted March 8, 2003 Report Share Posted March 8, 2003 (edited) I AM RAISTLIN MAJERE Edited March 8, 2003 by Lord of the Gay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zadown Posted March 8, 2003 Report Share Posted March 8, 2003 Usually all good books have main characters that mirror at least some minor parts of me and thus get my empathy that way, but very few share my detached self-absorbtion and live-and-let-live attitude. The main character in "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil", John Kelso is one that comes to my mind, but I haven't read the book, only seen the movie. Many Iain (M) Banks's books have main characters are pretty close to me... and most likely countless other books I can't just now recall. Oh, and Moorcock's Eternal Champions are somewhat close to the Dreamer - powerful but not happy, doomed to unpleasant fates in a world they are more or less detached from, play pieces of greater powers... As for the exact opposite, I once had this book with religious fanatic as the main character and I read through the whole book hoping that he'd be torn to bits or something equally nice, but since it was my only book at work and the other option would've been to listen to radio for the 8 hours I grit my teeth and concentrated on the landscape descriptions etc of the book. *shivers* Can't stand fanatics. <_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaeha Posted March 9, 2003 Report Share Posted March 9, 2003 The character with whom I've found I feel the most empathy is Camden DeKathrine. (The protagonist of The Golden Sword, by Fiona Patton) I don't know quite why, but the sadness he felt for most of his life seemed to mirror my own, though it's different... He actually did lose the one he loved... I just worry about it. I guess it's pretentious of me to compare myself to someone who actually knew pain, but... that's just the way I am. I'll stop rambling now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Portrait of Zool Posted March 9, 2003 Report Share Posted March 9, 2003 Harry Harrison's The Stainless Steel Rat was a favorite of mine. That was a long time ago though, and thinking back now I don't think I was anything like him - but he had my empathy. I'm probably closer to Arthur Dent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blondemoon Posted March 9, 2003 Report Share Posted March 9, 2003 LOL @ Zool! Hmm...read so many books, I wouldn't know where to start. I'll have to think about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lumpenproletariat Posted March 9, 2003 Report Share Posted March 9, 2003 . . . I read the question, and thought that I'd have a large list... surprsisingly, none come to mind - maybe my reading selection isn't broad enough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whynotsin Posted March 9, 2003 Report Share Posted March 9, 2003 Capt. Yossarian from Catch-22, I can just identify with him. People often compare me to hm don't know if thats a good or bad thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyril Darkcloud Posted March 9, 2003 Report Share Posted March 9, 2003 Tom Joad from the Grapes of Wrath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Portrait of Zool Posted March 9, 2003 Report Share Posted March 9, 2003 Zool thinks a while... Now, if you were really curious about where my early entertaining perspective comes from, and we were to overlook the (literally) literary source part, then an easy answer springs to mind, and that would be the actor Peter Sellers. Even before Dr. Strangelove, and Pink Panther and it's many sequels, Peter Sellers was himself an institution. Seeing a Peter Sellers movie, such as the Millionaress or Casino Royale or The Party assured the viewer of an almost fairytale-like plot, usually with Peter himself as the journeying protagonist, starting the wide-eyed innocent, but receiving at least the girl if not the also the riches after the end of many a strange adventure. His outrageous characters and improvisations were, and are, legendary. And That is the type of character - the mythical comedic artist performer - to whom I really am drawn, sort of a meta-empathy, I guess... Err... What was the question? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerulean Posted March 9, 2003 Report Share Posted March 9, 2003 The question was Being There Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quincunx Posted March 10, 2003 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 A bit more introspection-- I wasn't correct. Pearl isn't Minta. Pearl is how Tzimfemme sees Minta. That being said, it's probably more true that Tzimfemme follows Hester Prynne. . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Portrait of Zool Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 As far as empathy, one book really comes to mind. I can't say it has really influenced me, but it really bowled me over. The Three Musketeers, by Alexander Dumas. I remember avoiding it like the plague when I was in high school, because it was so thick, and so OLD - now I can only groan at my ignorance. There is a reason books continue to be published for hundreds of years. While it did drag in parts, by the end this was such a gritty tale of treachery and friendship that it just blew me away. I really felt for poor Dartanien (sp), and Aramous, Porthos, and... that other guy - but I really can't say more without giving away the ending. (Hint: It doesn't end like it does in all the movies.) It's about time for me to read it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blondemoon Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 Ok, I can't honestly say that I could identify with any of the characters in the book, or even that the book helped influence my life, cause it was the movie that did that, but I will have to say Jaws by Peter Benchley at the risk of having rotten fruit and vegetables thrown at me. I'm probably more aware than anyone of the very very bad image that both the book and movie gave to sharks...anyone who's talked to me long enough sorta knows that. (*cough*Peredhil*cough* ) But, even watching the movie as a little kid, long before I discovered the "adult" section of the library (probably long before I should have), influenced me. From nightmares that Jaws was hiding underneath my bed waiting to eat me, to me eagerly devouring every book I could find on the subject...well, I think you get the picture. And if you've ever read the book, you know they changed the ending for the movie. Made a better ending that way though. *steps down off her fanatical soapbox* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peredhil Posted March 15, 2003 Report Share Posted March 15, 2003 Just thought of another empatheticly strong influence, abet it was movie. Gotcha. Old movie. I had strong identity with the character Jonathon. "There is always a choice." "They're fighting on MY turf now." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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