From Science-Fiction to Social-Fact : Arts role in instilling empathy.

From star wars to star trek, politics and social issues have permeated sci-fi since its inception. It has not only inspired us to think bigger in terms of what technology can achieve, but also to dream -and remember- what we as a unified people can accomplish. To think of just how beautiful a future we can make.

"The little guys won, and the big highly technical empire, the English empire, the American empire, lost. That was the whole point" - George Lucas discussing the allegory's in Star Wars and the inspiration for the rebel alliance from the American revolution to the Viet Cong.

Whilst drawing on these inspirations, translating them in to fictitious sides, or making metaphor out of an issue to render its impact more clearly, may convey an understanding upon an audience, this alone does not instil empathy.

To me that power comes from something rather unique to narrative artforms, that is the power of the protagonist. The power to place an audience in another shoes. To exemplar this point we'll switch genres for a second, as we remember the sheer internal turmoil and online apoplexy delivered to audiences as they came to term with the fact they had been rooting for Walter White as he destroyed his family.

By delivering a compelling narrative and characters, an audience near subconsciously finds themselves aligned with the protagonist. It is a delicate balance and not a ubiquitous one, but it can lead people to explore perspectives and ideals they may otherwise have railed against.

Therein lays the magic, when used to elevate a cause this accidental empathy people find themselves in delivers such impact, in part from its shock, when the audience finds themselves bringing the thoughts of fiction in to reality.

We have seen this with Star Trek and Uhuras representation, alongside Kirk and Spocks friendship. It had a fundamental impact on driving acceptance in vast swathes of the fanbase. How could it not, how can you identify with, and celebrate these hero's, whilst not thinking to yourself "how do I align with them" or perhaps more importantly "why do I feel in conflict with them".

Painting someone as a villain is easy, painting a hero is hard, and getting someone to paint themselves harder still. By giving them a framework, an outline, you can guide them towards, if not an answer, than at least a fuller picture.

Today Andor has taken up a place in the forefront of manys media focus. Conversations people aren't having or aren't party to to in real life are played out on screen for them to participate in. The nuanced banality of evil, the loss of revolutionaries to blind rage, the complexities of propaganda and the use of ones enemies tools against them. All these notions, these feelings, so difficult for us to think through without context, without conversation, or some form of crucible through which to refract and understand them. All of these are laid out for us to participate in.

They spark conversation in real life, they help us understand the subtle dangers around us, and the human cost of it all.