According to Leslie, what is the nature of empathy? How does it manifest, and why is it important? Use examples from the book.

Students should be able to summarize Leslie's conception of empathy as an active action rather than a passive emotion. They may also discuss how belief in the source of a person's pain or suffering is not a prerequisite for empathy.

Using examples from the text, discuss how some kinds of pain are valued while others are dismissed. Connect the theme of pain to the theme of sentimentality in your answer.

Students should be able to discuss how our culture values certain kinds of pain over others based on their perceived cause, their performative nature, or their connection to melodrama/sentimentality. They should also discuss the concept of gendered pain in their answer.

How can sentimentality limit empathy? How can it prompt empathy?

Students should...