The aim of this study tries to research human’s ability of imitation and empathy in Don DeLillo’s The Body Artist based on mirror neurons. The novel examines the trauma of Lauren, following the suicide of her husband. Lauren, after all, restores herself from the grieving life by performing ‘Body-Time’ which surprisingly covers her transformation into a masculinized Mr. Tuttle. He is an enigmatic figure who imitates past conversations between Lauren and Rey. Lauren starts to see him as her dead husband. How can we understand such acts of imitation? This paper tries to find out its clue from DeLillo’s long-time interest in science. Especially, mirror neurons are important for learning the actions of others by imitation and explaining also the neural basis of the human ability for feelings like empathy. When copying of an action is related to mirror neurons, it can be understandable. This is why the study explores The Body Artist on the basis of mirror neurons.
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