Sentiment and Sympathy

Mr. Gradgrind was at home for the vacation. He sat This episode, entitled "The Purple Testament," writing in the room with the deadly statistical clock, is set in a combat zone in the Philippines during proving something no doubt-probably, in the main, World War 11.1 It begins as men returning from that the Good Samaritan was a Bad Economist. a combat mission pile out of a truck, their faces Charles Dickens, Hard Times mostly blank and withdrawn. One man, however, seems to be in a state of nervous agitation. He is Lieutenant Fitzgerald (William Reynolds), who has noticed that he frequently sees a certain look on men's faces. He is unable to describe Many people have had a sense that fictional narwith any clarity what this look is like ("like a ratives, including both filmic and literary ones, light or something," he says) but it is always are sometimes morally enlightening, that they recognizable. With growing dread, he has come can make a very strongly positive contribution to notice something else about it: that the men to our thinking about ethical matters. Among in whose faces it appears are always the next to the interesting issues raised by the possibility die. His commanding officer, Captain Riker that they do make such a contribution is the (Dick York), and the doctor who operates the question of a particular way in which they might local field hospital are trying to arrange to have be thought to accomplish this. Do such narrahim referred to another post for psychiatric tives influence the intellect by functioning as examination, not merely because he suffers arguments of some sort? Or do they work on us from the "delusion" of having this power of by training the emotions, perhaps by teaching clairvoyance, but because of his increasingly us to experience emotions that are fully consistdistraught condition: he seems to be suffering ent with our principles and ideals? I would like the torments of the damned. to discuss a third possibility, one that might be When a rumor of Fitzgerald's dubious gift understood as lying somewhere between these spreads through the post, the men's mood two. In particular, I will discuss the possibility changes from shell-shocked lethargy to nearthat fictional narratives can enlighten us by hysteria. One man, trembling with fear, begs to influencing the intellect through the emotions, know if he is next. Fitzgerald joins Riker (who by means of what I will call "emotional persuaby now believes Fitzgerald's claims) in telling sion." I will argue that, despite its plausibility, the men a lie that restores some degree of calm: we have reason to be skeptical of this idea. Fitzgerald has no such peculiar abilities. As I think I can best begin to explain what I Riker prepares to go out on a dangerous mismean by "emotional persuasion," and at the sion, Fitzgerald asks him to stay behind: the same time give some idea of its considerable look has appeared on his face. Ryker goes on power to draw us under its influence, by the mission, but leaves behind his wedding ring describing a narrative work in which it is used and his wallet pictures of his family so they can in a particularly straightforward and explicit be returned to his wife. He does not come back way. The work I have in mind is an episode of alive. Fitzgerald is much relieved to learn that the classic television series The Twilight Zone. he is finally being sent to division headquarters