Empathy In To Kill A Mockingbird

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from their point of view-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” (p.30) The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee includes a plethora of essential themes that make one think deeply. The story takes place in the 1930’s when segregation tensions were high. The narrative is told through the eyes of a young girl, Jean Louise (Scout) Finch. Scout’s father, Atticus is a lawyer fighting a case for an African American man named Tom Robinson. Throughout the novel, both Scout and her older brother Jeremy (Jem) Finch learn many life lessons that are crucial for all children to learn about. One fundamental lesson learned by the children, is the lesson of having empathy.

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.

Introduction: “ You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view” Scout doesn't understand that yet. Until the ending of the book she learns that speech Atticus gave her.

In this lesson Atticus teaches Scout that you must understand where someone comes from in order to show true sympathy and compassion. Now before Scout judges someone she steps into their shoes. Allowing her to show compassion towards that person and many more. She has learned that the most compassion you can give someone is sympathy and understanding. Jem also learned these lessons but through experiences and challenges he had to face and go through.

Humans are the most advanced beings on Earth. Since we are the dominant creature, we are the best creature. We can do astounding things, like what I’m doing right now. It’s pretty cool to have the brain of a human. Right? Debatably. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout and Jem experience classism and implicit bias. From this, they learn to empathize.

Human interaction is important in today's society. It allows each of the species to communicate and share what they feel. But, wny for people struggle with the concept of empathy? To Kill A Mockingbird is a great example of the struggles of empathy. People struggle with empathy because they have different experiences. Characters who show this are Scout, Mayella, and Aunt Alexandra.

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

In a hostile environment, the task of having morality is often difficult. Maycomb, Alabama is a hostile city with different kinds of people. Everyone has his or her own values, and their families reflect upon it. Within this violent environment, Atticus Finch and Calpurnia teach Scout about their opinions on empathy and respect. One of Atticus’s main values is empathy.

In Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout, Jem, and their father Atticus lived in a tiny town called Maycomb. Throughout the 3 years that Scout had narrated, her friends, her brother, and even herself had learned to experience empathy for other people. Not only did they learn how to experience empathy for others, but they also made some people feel empathy towards others. There are some very important parts of this novel that not only do the characters in the book experience empathy, but the reader does too. Empathy has a positive effect on people because they can understand how someone is feeling.

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.

One of the more famous lessons Scout learns is about empathy. Empathy allows you to understand one's actions, though you may not agree with them. Scouts teacher is Miss. Caroline, she is a young naive teacher from Winston County who had a lose grasp on John Dewey's philosophy. Without the knowledge one gets from living in town for years, on her first day she embarsses herself and punishes Scout for reasons unknown to her. When Scout goes home she tells Atticus what happens, Atticus tells Scout, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”(33)

In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, racism, empathy, and perspective are quite important to the story. In the novel, Tom Robinson got convicted of rape, all because of the color of his skin. The Jury provided no perspective towards Tom’s situation. When Francis called Atticus, a “nigger-lover” which is racist, Scout fought back, and Uncle Francis didn’t give perspective to Scout. Race, empathy, and perspective are important because racism is the basis for most of the story, and empathy provides perspective for the characters in the story.

In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, the author Harper Lee shows that it is necessary to have empathy to live successfully in the real world. Lee uses Atticus Finch and Calpurnia to teach Scout and Jem to have empathy just as they have empathy themselves. One day Jems Friend Walter comes over to their house for dinner. Scout, while eating notices that Walter was pouring lots of syrup all over his food he starts to yell at how nasty she thought it was. Just then Calpernia calls her out to talk to her. Cal said, "Don't matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house's yo' company... Yo' folks might be better'n the Cunningham's but it don't count for nothin' the way you're disgracin' em." (Lee 39) Saying this, Calpurnia teaches Scout that

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. To Kill A Mockingbird written by Harper Lee was a novel narrated by an empathetic girl named Scout. She lives with her brother Jem, her Father Atticus, her Aunt Alexandra and Her housekeeper Calpurnia. During the book Scout goes through many life changing situations. She is exposed to racism, prejudice, and rumors without the story.

Scout rigorously was able to progress and mature, as well as adapt to new situations, visually changing her morals and outlook on her life. Scouts moral growth took off at the very beginning of the novel, early on during her issues at school with her teacher, Miss.Caroline. Scout professes her concern to Atticus on her learning, and her personal belief regarding Miss.Caroline's lack of teaching things of those similar to what Scout was learning at home. Scout felt although she was progressing more educationally at home when reading and writing with Atticus. After Scout talked to Atticus she truly realized Miss.Caroline’s point of view. In the text Atticus handled the situation with Scout by saying, “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) Scout definitely was able to gain new insight from this experience and from talking with Atticus. Atticus was as well able to accommodate Scout in learning these new skills. Scout additionally accomplished moral growth in her experience bothering Boo Radley. Scout and her rather childish ways began back at the beginning of the book when Scout took interest in Boo Radley and his life. Scout, being intrusive and invasive at the beginning, took concern in his life, which soon she quickly learned was not proper. Atticus provided the following saying to teach Scout the importance of developing and maturing from her preprosperous ways. “Furthermore had it never occurred to us that the civil way