How do authors try to create a feeling of empathy in their readers?

Hmm...... not exactly the easiest question in the world. Lets see... one of Deborah Ellis's(the author of The Breadwinner) ways of creating empathy is by creating emotions towards the characters in the book. For example, the main character Parvana has a older sister named Nooria who's always really mean to her. This reminds me of my younger brother Henry who seems to get away with everything, that little sneak. So Parvana and I both feel resentment towards our siblings. Another way to create empathy would be using such descripition and detail in the story to create a imaginative picture in your mind. Here's a example from the book:

She was always glad to be outside, even though it meant sitting for hours on a blanket spread over the hard ground of the marketplace.

- Ch.1 p.g 8

Even this simple little sentence can create a descripitive picture in my mind. I can imagine the diligent marketplace with all the people trying to sell their belongings to earn more money for themselves or for their family. I can also imagine how dense the ground will be, how raw your bottom will be and how sweaty you'll be after sitting on the ground for so long.

Another way to create empathy would to be to use A LOT of adjectives. Instead of using the words like anger, relief or courage, you could say outrage, refreshment or heroism. By doing this, it creates situations that you can relate to and understand. For example, when Parvana was being beaten by a solider she gets really mad and snaps back at the solider. She yells: Stop hitting me! on p.g 55. Parvana then had to run away from the situation. This scene reminds of when at my old school, a boy was picking on a friend of mine. This made me really mad, just like Parvana. I got so mad that I also snapped back at the boy but I didn't have to run away from him. I can understand how angry Parvana was when that solider was beating her.

The Breadwinner is filled with the feeling of empathy since it's about a girl who's about our age so we're able to relate her life to situations in ours. Even if our lives are completely different. I hope my blog helped you understand how authors create empathy in their readers.