Empathy and Suffering in Narrative Fiction
Content Warning: occasional strong language (in quotes;) references to 9/11, war, murder, violence, misogyny, transphobia, bullying, sexual assault, domestic abuse, mental health issues, suicide, self-harm, stalking, and abandonment. Spoiler warning for the following: La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc , The Passion of the Christ , Perfect Blue , Joker , Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me , the Noumena books, Fluids , Girl Flesh , and several episodes of Doctor Who , Family Guy , and Twin Peaks. Introduction: Twin Peaks and Shared Humanity Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (Lynch, 1992) is about the last days in the life of Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee), the murder victim at the centre of the television series that originated the film (American Broadcasting Company, 1990-1991). Fire Walk with Me is highly disturbing and quite visceral in its depictions of domestic abuse, psychosis, and sexual violence. British film critic Mark Kermode discusses the film in an instalment of his "Film Club...