Empathy The novel To Kill a Mockingbird, written by author Harper Lee, displays numerous themes that can be connected to the world, a personal life, and more. One theme I noticed in the book was empathy. Empathy is the key to getting along with others. There are numerous examples of empathy that can be connected to the text. Scout, a main character in the story, displays empathy frequently by learning to, “walk about in someone’s skin”(Lee, 41). As Scout and her brother Jem grow up throughout the story they learn how much empathy can affect the way you view someone. An example of when Scout displays empathy in the text is in chapter two when she sees Walter Cunningham embarrassed in the classroom. Walter Cunningham is an extremely poor boy …show more content…
From close family, to friends, to acquaintances, to teachers, it is something that is important and critical that I am considerate of others feelings. An example of empathy in my life is between my sister and I. My sister, Zoe and I have a great relationship, she is my very best friend. But, she is an extremely busy best friend! Her being a senior, she has a large amount of work to do! She works at her job, works on her Odyssey, applies for colleges, does homework, finds herself vegan meals, drives me places, the list could go on! At times I make the mistake of not giving her the empathy she deserves because I can get upset about her not spending enough time with me. It is a selfish action when I do that, and have to continue to learn and understand she has work to get done, and friends to spend time with as well. Lately, I’ve been working hard on not giving her a hard time and really putting myself in her shoes. I imagined myself in her shoes and visioned a chaotic mess! I’m proud she is handling the stress so well, and maintaining a good relationship with me, her friends, and herself. It’s important I am empathetic of her situation in life right now, and spend the time I can get with her happily, because soon she’s off the college. Empathy plays a huge role of my friendships and relationships. My dad always enjoys to remind me how proud he is of
Scout does not like all of the prejudices in the town, and world, all shows a lot of empathy for how young she is in this quote, “I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks,” (304) Atticus, Scout, and minor characters show the importance of empathy. Atticus always thinks about how people feel, scout shows empathy throughout the novel, especially at the end, and some minor characters show some empathy. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee demonstrates the importance of empathy.
“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.
In conclusion, To Kill A Mockingbird has many examples of how characters show empathy to other characters. In this novel, one of the main themes or lessons Lee tries to teach the reader is empathy for others. To judge a person, you must walk in his “shoes” or “skin”. Throughout the novel, Atticus, Jem and Scout Finch mature and start showing empathy more and more and to more and more people. If it weren’t for empathy, no one would have defended Tom Robinson. A wise person told me many of our lawyers today as kids they decided to be lawyers because of Atticus Finch’s heroic
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.
Empathy is the theme which connects the reader with the characters in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird; the experiences of the characters in this novel show us the significance of empathy as a theme. Harper Lee writes about the experiences which Scout and Jem undergo in learning to be empathetic, while Atticus and Tom Robinson are two of the key characters who, at the time of the novel already possessed the ability to be empathetic.
Throughout Harper Lee’s novel, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, empathy is learned and demonstrated in the characters lives. It is one if the novels defining themes as Lee’s character, Atticus teaches it to his children, Scout and Jem. His children are also taught it by Tom Robinson, a person that Atticus is defending in law.
One major theme in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is that empathy can change how one reacts to his surroundings. In chapter three, protagonist Scout has a bad day at school. She asks Atticus, her father, to homeschool her after she has disagreements with both Burris Ewells and Walter Cunningham. However, Atticus tells her 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” (39). Atticus says this to Scout so she can reevaluate the situation and have a more realistic view, however, what he said can be applied to everyday life. To understand the feelings of another is to see the world through their eyes. Only through this can true connection be developed. Empathy creates bonds and friendships between individuals, and when Atticus says
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.
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view— until you climb in his skin and walk around in it,” says Atticus Finch. This iconic quote from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird highlights the compassion for others that shows up several times in the story. Empathy is a prevalent theme in To Kill a Mockingbird and is displayed by several characters. Atticus Finch is one of the most compassionate characters. He sets an example for his kids, who also learn to empathize. Several other characters besides the Finch family show compassion for each other. The title of the novel itself symbolizes empathy for the innocent and accentuates the role of compassion in this novel.
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.
“Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his
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
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. That is what Martin Luther King said in his last speech before he was assassinated. The literary fiction novel To Kill A Mockingbird wrote by Harper Lee takes place in the fictional Alabama town of Maycomb. The story happened during the period of Great Depression, and people were sorted based on socioeconomic, gender and races. The narrator Scout Finch lives with her brother Jem Finch and father Atticus Finch. In the book, Atticus is a character that is respected by readers because he has a strong sense of sympathy. Atticus is a just and fair lawyer and served several years in the state legislature. As being an attorney with strong moral character and healthy humanitarian principles, Atticus works diligently in the court to defend an innocent person. “It is a sin to kill a Mockingbird.” The innocent person is the mockingbird and Atticus’s mission is to protect the mockingbird. As a stern and gentle father of two children, Atticus teaches Jem and Scout a lot of principles on the way of life and benefit them in the future. His sense of responsibility makes him a good father. Atticus consistently demonstrates empathy throughout the novel To Kill A Mockingbird.
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings with others. In To KIll a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, there are many characters who show the quality of empathy. A few examples are the main characters Jem, Atticus, and the narrator Scout Finch. They are all asked to show empathy throughout the book.
In to Kill a Mockingbird harper lee demonstrates to the reader the importance of empathy mainly through the action and advice of Atticus. An example of this would be when Atticus said "you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around it" to scout (33). This quote teaches students the basics of empathy and how to look at things at others point of view. In addition, the advice Atticus gives in this quote is direct, easy to understand and is crucial towards student understanding on how to develop a good relationship with someone. Empathy can