Ethics of Empathy and Personal Shift in Lucy Caldwell’s These Days

Abstract

The article discusses the ethics of empathy and personal transformation in Lucy Caldwell’s These Days (2022). In this award-winning historical prose, Caldwell creates an alternative literary space to commemorate the victims of the 1941 Belfast Blitz. I aim to discuss her ethical perspective, which manifests in two key dimensions in the novel: first, by fostering empathetic connections with readers, and second, by illustrating the empathic interactions and transformative journeys of the novel’s female characters. Furthermore, I draw on scholarly definitions of ethics and empathy to demonstrate how a strong emphasis on empathy characterizes Caldwell’s ethical perspective. As These Days stages a fictional revisit to the tragedy and its impact on Caldwell’s native city (Belfast), she vividly portrays human vulnerability and resilience through the female characters, who experience profound personal shifts through empathic encounters. This article demonstrates how These Days calls for human interdependence and, more crucially, considers the interconnectedness of all living beings as a profound source of solace in times of vulnerability and loss.