Reproducing Empathy in Mothers Who Read Nanny Novels

Abstract

Several recent mainstream news articles have reported on studies that suggestreading novels (particularly physical books) may increase empathy in part bythe ways in which they ask readers to reproduce characters’ emotional landscape.English scholar Suzanne Keen’s research, however, troubles the connection madebetween the empathic experiences readers profess to experience and the prosocialbehavior novels are credited with creating. This article will argue that one approachtoward mediating differences between mother-employers and nannies isto engage in novels that highlight the intricacies of this relationship in ways thatcan help both mother-employers and nannies gain a deeper understanding of therole they play in the relationship as well as the ways in which the other memberof the dyad may experience the relationship. I will argue that one way that thisempathy can be developed is via repeated opportunities for readers to reproduce theemotional and cognitive landscape of characters in consciousness-raising nannynovels. I posit that this may make the act of reading consciousness-raising novelsan intrinsically prosocial behavior.