Sometime during the long-lost month of September we discussed both Walter Mosely’s “The Trial” through the lens of the UDHR and Martha Nussbaum’s article “Democratic Citizenship and the Narrative Imagination.” However, Mosley’s short story and Nussbaum’s article were not really discussed in conjunction with one another, though a number of Nussbaum’s arguments and ideas concerning the role of literature in citizen development are represented and illustrated in Mosley’s “The Trial.” Nussbaum argues that “the arts cultivate capacities of judgment and sensitivity” (144) in citizens, and that literature in particular plays an integral role in this development of citizenship through “its ability to represent the specific circumstances and problems of people of many different sorts” (145). Mosley’s short story “The Trial,” by exploring and introducing readers to the relationship between an underprivileged American community and the modern legal system, fosters empathy, sensitivity and awareness in readers, which reflects Nussbaum’s assertions concerning the role of literature in the development of democratic citizenship.
According to Nussbaum, literature plays an integral role in introducing readers to circumstances that “shape the lives of those who share with us some general goals and projects and … shape not only people’s possibilities for action, but also their aspirations and desires, hopes and fears” (147). This serves to heighten citizen awareness among readers and develop empathy towards members of society who, at a first glance, may appear completely alien. Mosley’s “The Trial” describes the response of a largely African American community to a murder committed within their tenement by a member of their community. This small tenement community decides to try the murderer through their own legal process, which they feel will result in a more just verdict than any issued by the modern American legal authorities, who cannot understand or relate in any way to the desperate conditions within the tenement. As Mosley’s character Bob argues “I’m ready to say that we are the law … you know that it sure ain’t the man in blue and them wearin’ black robes” (107). While “The Trial” offers an insightful perspective concerning justice for underprivileged populations, it also reflects Nussbaum’s argument, broadening the perspectives of readers to include the relative lack of justice that many underprivileged and ethnic minority communities can expect. This new perspective develops empathy in readers, which may in turn cause citizens to develop policies and make choices that address, in the case of “The Trial,” the disparity between the application of the law in more fortunate and underprivileged communities within society. “The Trial” illustrates Nussbaum’s argument by clearly broadening social perspectives and developing empathy within citizens, creating a level of social understanding that allows readers to better relate to seemingly alien communities.
In “Democratic Citizenship and the Narrative Imagination,” Nussbaum asserts that literature fosters better citizenship by developing empathy and greater social awareness in readers. Walter Mosely’s “The Trial” clearly represents this argument in practice, as through his story more privileged readers are able to relate to and understand the social and legal issues of a seemingly foreign underprivileged community. I can attest to this on a personal level as well, as the insights offered by “The Trial” broadened my understanding of the justice issues faced by underprivileged communities and instilled within me a degree of empathy for the delicate legal situation and the resulting desperate actions undertaken by my fellow citizens in response to their situation. “The Trial” illustrates Nussbaum’s argument that literature, by developing empathy in readers, fosters better citizenship.
Works Cited
Nussbaum, Martha. “Democratic Citizenship and the Narrative Imagination” in Cultivating Humanity: A Classical Defense of Reform in Liberal Education. Cambridge, pp. 85-97, 111-112. © 1998 Harvard University Press.
Mosely, Walter. “The Trial” in Freedom: A Collection of Short Fiction Celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, pp. 98-124. © 2009 Toronto: Key Porter Books Limited.
Hey Gavin,
I won’t disagree with you on the fact that literature is intended to serve as a medium to promote ethical awareness. However, I do need to say that this is not an absolute statement. I happened to use Nussbaum’s article for my literature review, and along with that, one of my other sources was an article that argued how literature inadvertently can actually create the opposite effect. If you are curious for a more comprehensive explanation on this matter, you can check out the new blog that I will post shortly.
– Bill
I am in complete agreement with this. The ideas you have posted about how Walter Mosely’s “The Trial” and Martha Nussbaum’s “Democratic Citizenship and the Narrative Imagination” are spot on and are very interesting to read about. I was overjoyed once I saw that you referred to Nussbaum’s comment that literature is an effective medium in developing compassion, sympathy, empathy as well as recognition for the pursuing of the democratic citizenship. Many individuals do not seem to care too much about literature these days due to the rise in technologies, film, video games and other forms of media to convey an engaging story and educational messages. In my opinion, while I also enjoy film and video games personally, I feel that literature is effective in developing compassion since within books you can describe more of the characters emotions and actions that otherwise would be excluded out of a film due to its runtime. The narrative of several human rights novels such as “Obasan” by Joy Kogawa are very descriptive in the character’s hardships and unlike in films or games, in books you can actually get a gist of what the character’s thoughts are during these situations.