Rebecca Mead once wrote an article entitled, The Scourge of “Relatability,” in which she highlighted the advantages of relatable works of art, but also stresses that such a characteristic should not be the standard by which one evaluates a piece. She refers to a tweet in which a man denounced Shakespeare because of the general inability to relate to his plays, showing that people have made the element of relatability a “criterion of value.” However, Mead asserts that “[this ideology is] what sucks, not Shakespeare.” For my part, I agree with her. I believe that a truly talented writer can achieve success in a non-relatable work through articulate and powerful language. When people fall in love with literature, it is not only because they feel emotionally connected to the characters. Love for a piece of work can stem from admiration of the author’s mastery of language. Perhaps he or she is able to present a convoluted thought so simply, or bring a beautiful scene to life. Therefore, there are many other standards by which a critic should judge a piece of art aside from its relatability.
Many argue that an advantage to a relatable novel is that it is often more captivating. That is, it is easier for the author to engross readers and thoroughly captivate them. When readers can see themselves in the character’s shoes, the author can evoke a greater emotional response from them. Thus, the reader is completely absorbed and feels quite connected to the novel. I do not disagree with this claim, but perhaps this is a cheap shot—an easy way out.
I believe such a connection can still be made to a book without the element of relatability. Through poignant language and vivid imagery, the author can just as strongly capture the attention of the reader and pull him deeply into the world of the characters. Harriet Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl exemplified this technique; for even though I could not relate to the characters, the book still cultivated heavy emotions within me. The story’s protagonist is a slave girl, to whom I could not personally relate, but for whom I felt tremendous sympathy. Jacobs used the power of words, rather than the element of relatability, to successfully create a touching narrative.
In my own experience with literature, I have often preferred when I cannot relate to the characters. Sometimes, when they differ so greatly from me, or the environment in which they are set is so unfamiliar to me, I lose myself to my imagination. Sitting down and reading a novel enables me to temporarily relinquish my worries and escape from my world. I put myself in someone else’s shoes, even if they are the wrong size or style, and find myself exploring unknown territory. Whether I am Jane Eyre falling in love with Mr. Rochester or Huckleberry Finn floating on a raft, I have entered into someone else’s world and have left my own. Thus, reading about characters that are not relatable is often therapeutic, as it allows one to dance with her imagination.