Novel as a Stimulant in Instilling Empathy and Sympathy in Character Education: A Case Study of Arah Langkah, a Novel by Fiersa Besari

Among the forms of communication is intercultural communication. Intercultural communication aims to share information between individuals or groups with different cultural backgrounds. This type of communication is used by both parties to understand each other and accept the differences in society. However, cultural intolerance in society often hinders intercultural communication. Such an issue can be minimized by promoting empathy and sympathy between communicators and communicants, thus resulting in a harmonious life, which resonates with the third principle of Pancasila. A recent study at Pennsylvania State University [1] reveals that the majority of people believe that being empathetic only drains their mental energy. Sympathy and empathy are a condition that forms the quality of being humane in oneself. Learning literary work is one of the overarching and adaptive approaches in character education to cultivate the two attitudes for people who expect flexibility in learning and enjoyable experiences. In the present study, a novel entitled Arah Langkah by Fiersa Besari was selected to be the medium for instilling empathy and sympathy. In this narrative research,the data were discussed using a hermeneutic approach. The result finds several qualities of sympathetic and empathetic attitudes in the characters of the novel; these serve as the model for the readers in cultivating the attitudes.