Empathy-eliciting strategies in Javier de Isusi’s Asӯlum: Exile, migration and human rights
(2026) Journal of Literary Education — n° 10, p. 12-34 (2026)
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- Authors
Kelly, Deirdre 
- Abstract
- (en) This article examines the graphic novel Asӯlum (2017 [2015]), by Javier de Isusi (Bilbao, 1972), through the lens of migration studies, comics studies, and empathy theory. Focusing on themes of exile and human rights, Asӯlum portrays the transnational and transgenerational struggles of refugees from the Spanish Civil War to the present. Drawing on theories of empathy from Suzanne Keen (2006, 2008), Max Louwerse and Don Kuiken (2004), as well as Sara Ahmed’s work on emotions (2014), the analysis examines how de Isusi employs specific comics strategies—such as colour, framing, point of view, and the depiction of violence and trauma—to evoke empathy for victims of forced displacement. By examining the graphic novel’s diverse portrayals of refugee experiences, this article focuses on how visual and narrative strategies capture the emotional and political complexities of migration, in both historical and contemporary contexts. In doing so, the analysis highlights the educational potential of comics like Asӯlum for addressing complex social and historical issues in the classroom. In order to analyse the comics devices employed by de Isusi, which depict the multilayered and heterogeneous nature of refugee experiences, this article will firstly introduce the comics artist and underscore the humanitarian issues that have remained a central concern throughout his work. The article will then provide a brief outline of Asӯlum before contextualising the comic within a body of graphic narratives (within and beyond Spain) that deal with exile, migration and human rights. Subsequently, previous research on Asӯlum will be addressed. An outline of the theoretical framework of the present analysis will be provided, which draws on empathy theory and emotions in the context of comics studies. The subsequent section will examine the empathy-inducing comics strategies employed by de Isusi, which portray various refugee experiences. The final section will evaluate Asӯlum as a pedagogical resource in the classroom setting.
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Citations
Castilleja, D., & Kelly, D. (2026). Empathy-eliciting strategies in Javier de Isusi’s Asӯlum: Exile, migration and human rights. Journal of Literary Education, 10, 12-34. https://doi.org/10.7203/JLE.9.31648 (Original work published 2026)