Landon Graham, Utah State University
This paper considers how George Saunders creates empathy in his fiction writing and how he attempts to apply that empathy to polarized U.S. politics. Saunders has advocated for increased empathy in politics through a return to literature and the arts. He creates empathy in his fiction by pursuing specificity. Lending nuance to characters guides readers toward an empathetic understanding; specific details transform characters from "someone other" to "someone more like me." Politics, on the other hand, relies on vague generalities and paints the "other side" with broad, negative strokes. It is difficult to create empathy in today's divisive political landscape. My research considers whether or not it is possible to transfer the creation of empathy from the page to the political arena. I examine Saunders's 2017 novel Lincoln in the Bardo in comparison with his pre-election New Yorker essay, "Who Are All These Trump Supporters?" I argue that while Saunders's creation of empathy is in full form in his short fiction and novel, his practical application fails during the 2016 presidential election.