Empathy In To Kill A Mockingbird

Empathy can be defined as making a connection to someone during a situation. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, empathy is a main part in some of the characters’ lives. Without empathy, the novel would lack many components that make the main characters, Jem and Scout, who they are.

1) Atticus is an empathetic person who tries to make sure people are treated equally, and in the case of his children, that people should grow up and make a positive difference. Atticus shows his empathy by telling Scout to try to understand what Miss Caroline is going through. Harper Lee is trying to show that with empathy, everyone benefits, and there would be less hate and injustice. Atticus says, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” (Lee 39). Atticus is telling Scout to look at the world through Miss Caroline’s eyes, to see why Miss Caroline reacts the way that she does. Atticus believes that if Scout can see how scared Miss Caroline is, with teaching a new school in a new way, then Scout can understand what makes Miss Caroline act the way that she does. When Scout asks Atticus why he is angering the town by defending Tom Robinson, he says that he must, or else he would no longer be reputable. Atticus says, “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win.” (Lee 101) Atticus leads by example, and that if he did not hold himself to the same standard that he wants Scout and Jem to be at, then he is no better than the rest of the town. He knows that he is going to lose, but wants to show his children that it is important to do the right thing no matter the consequences or result, and

Atticus, he was really nice…” His hands were under my chin, pulling up the cover, tucking it around me. Most people are, Scout when you finally see them”(376) because once you see a person from their standpoint, you can understand them better. The novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes place in the 1960’s through the eyes of Scout Finch. Her father Atticus had been given a case which involved a black man (Tom Robinson) and a white woman (Mayella Ewell). He had been accused of raping Mayella. Scout and her brother Jem, learn from their father's actions. Atticus does his best even though he already knows that there is little chance he will win because of the segregation at the time. Atticus takes the case because he sympathizes with Tom Robinson. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, shows that without empathy society can’t understand anything beyond their own personal beliefs and experiences. Throughout the novel, Atticus, Scout, and Calpurnia all demonstrate their understanding of the importance of empathy.

Those who display and teach empathy to others, prevent the light, known as humanity, from being completely extinguished. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, outlines the story of a young girl named Scout who grows up in a small town, surrounded by people who succumb to a society of prejudice. However, Scout’s father, Atticus Finch is very empathetic and ensures that his children learn to be understanding. He tells them that “you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view – until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (Lee, 30). Throughout the novel, empathy towards others is demonstrated through teaching, as well as apprehension, by Atticus and Scout.

Empathy is understanding and sharing the feelings or experiences other people have. People can show empathy throughout the many varieties of genres. In To Kill a Mockingbird, readers feel empathy for the African Americans who are treated as inferior. Also in “Opinion: Syrian kids need an education — rich countries must pay for it,” readers feel empathy for the young girls who cannot get a good education. Although people can’t directly relate to these problems, people have experienced something along the lines of them.

Empathy is defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another, a skill most humans do not acquire. That is why Atticus Finch stresses the point of being empathic and not quick to judge through several situations regarding three different people. The reasoning behind this is due to the fact Atticus understands how first impressions of people can be misleading and incorrect. The most feared person, shown as Boo Radley, could end up being a town hero. Having empathy for people despite their differences leads to the realization that being optimistic and compassionate is important as shown in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, through a scary neighbor, a less fortunate child, and an immature man with the realizations

To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, has many themes shown through the book. Just some of these themes are courage, education, and empathy. All of these show up in one way or another in the book through life lessons that the main character went through. Although amongst some great company, the most prevalent theme in this book is empathy because it shows the character’s understanding of the situation.

Empathy- The ability to understand and share the feelings of another. To Kill A Mockingbird, a novel by Harper Lee, has many valuable themes. Several themes are developed throughout the storyline. One prominent and recurring theme throughout the novel is the idea that you have to try to understand others and think about how their lives are. Several characters in the novel tell the children to put themselves in someone else’s shoes before they judge or make assumptions about him or her. One example of when Atticus Finch shows empathy is when he says, “Jem, see if you can stand in Bob Ewell’s shoes for a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial, if he had any to begin with. [...] so if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that’s something I’ll gladly take. He had to take it out on somebody and I’d rather it be me than that houseful of children out there” (Lee 292). Empathy is shown through Link Deas, Atticus Finch, and Arthur “Boo” Radley’s effect on Scout’s life.

We all experience empathy at some point in our lives, it feels nice to know that there is someone that you can call on and that you know they can help you get through any hardship. Whether that be family, friends, or anyone that you are in close relations with. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird and Daryl Cameron’s article Empathy Is Actually a Choice, they show great examples of empathy and why people show each other compassion and feel this emotion that believe it or not most people don’t experience. This essay is to show how these articles are related and a good example of how people should act in today’s society.

The beauty of empathy and compassion for others can often aid in the restoration of ones faith in humanity. Throughout Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird, sympathy is shown through many actions of characters such as Scout, Jem, Atticus, Miss Maudie, and Boo Radley as you follow each of their respective plights through the small town of Maycomb. The viewpoint of their home changes shape as Jem and Scout are put through the horrible ideals and racism of southern society during the 1930s. Their journey to adulthood is riddled with evil, but even so, their ability to put themselves into others' shoes and find the good in them only grows stronger. Through the teachings of Atticus/Miss Maudie, growing compassion for Boo Radley, and the trial

Throughout these times of hardship in the south, many African Americans were wrongfully accused in our court systems all over the south. One case that sticks out above all of the rest of this time, was the trials of the Scottsboro Boys. This case involved nine young African American teenagers who were all accused of rape by two other young white girls. March 25, 1931 was the time and Scottsboro, Alabama was the setting. Here two girls Victoria Price and Ruby Bates, accused nine other black boys of rapping them after a fight with a white gang erupted among the blacks on board the train headed towards Scottsboro. Theses boys were damned from the very beginning merely because they were of black descent. In the police station that night, Miss Price pointed out six of the nine guys that supposedly raped her. As for the other three boys, the guard reportedly replied, “If those six had miss Price, it stands to reason that the others had Miss Bates”(Linder 1). This guard was pushed to believe the other three guilty from the racism already established within him. A crowd of several hundred men, hoping for a good old-fashioned lynching,

During Miss Maudie’s unfortunate house fire, in chapter eight of the novel, Scout and Jem had to stand outside in the cold, waiting for the fire to be put out. According to Atticus, the temperature that night was sixteen, “that it was the coldest night in his memory”, so naturally Scout started to get cold and shiver (Lee 68). After the fire, Scout realized, with her family’s help, that she had a blanket draped around her shoulders, a blanket given to her by Boo Radley (Lee 71-72). The gesture, albeit small, was a significant gesture on Boo Radley's part. It showed his true nature of gentleness, compassion, and courage, which many people don’t know because of Boo’s family keeping him in the Radley home.

As the predominate species of Earth, humans possess qualities that distinguish the race as an ordered civilization, rather than an instinct based animal kingdom. However, what pertains to the human race that allows it to influence the world more strongly than other species? To understand humanity’s effect on Earth, it is imperative to know what a human is. Though genetically similar, humans are greatly distinguishable from animals through basic, yet key characteristics of idiosyncrasy, conscious thought, complex emotions, and advanced psychological development (Stix). Within the subjective realm, humans possess the ability to empathize and act upon free will.

Throughout the essay empathy is talked about constantly and so it the lack of justice in things, another thing talked about is how it affected each person in the book not just empathy but how it relates to love and overall humans. The symbol of the mockingbird is also talked about and why Harper Lee decided to use the mockingbird as her central symbol in the book. Reading the book lets you see an insight on injustice as if it's were the first time you were learning about it just as Scout was seeing injustice for her first time. Harper Lee makes a point so that it’s understood just how the human race is hypocrite and cruel towards each other even after saying “we are all equal.” It is important for the human race to have empathy towards

Maycomb Region consists of lots of racism along with splendour, but consideration along with forgiveness. Compassion enables anyone to realize the volume of difficulties you happen to be dealing with by means of walking around inside their sneakers or even positioning them selves throughout one more person’s scenario. After they uncover various other people’s struggles, forgiveness toward another is likely to become naturally. Sadly, consideration may well not regularly be generously paid at the conclusion. From time to time, kindness might be delivered inside a ferocious along with unanticipated approach. Furthermore, empathy will often become miscomprehended.