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Empathy Quotes To Dill A Mockingbird

Decent Essays

To Dill a Mockingbird essay 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. One of the characters that shows empathy is Jem Finch. Jem is growing up to be a fine young man who learns how to put himself in others shoes or empathy. “Atticus is a gentleman just like me”(Pg.131). As Jem is coming of age he finds that he prefers to do things the way Atticus does. He likes the way Atticus thinks-logically, fairly and justly. As he starts to do things the way Atticus does he begins to understand why Atticus does the things he does. He realizes that with so many racists and harmful people in the world let alone Maycomb county there should be someone who should set a good example for others and how humans should act around eachother no matter how different they are. Jem wants to be fair and set a good example for Scout to also be fair. Jem shows empathy toward Walter Cunningham. For example, “Walter looked as if he had been raised on fish food...he fingered the straps of his overalls, nervously picking the metal hooks.”(pg.30) Jem had to rip Scout off of Walter after scout blaming him for making scout have a bad impression on the new teacher the first day of school. Jem looks at walter and sees him for more than the cunningham boy who smells and doesn't eat lunch. Jem looks at him and thinks, wow look at this boy who did nothing wrong and this girl is beating him up for no reason. These are only two examples of empathy from the character Jem Finch. Another character who shows empathy is Atticus. “I destroyed his last shred of credibility. So, if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella one beating that’s something i’ll gladly take.”(Pg. 292) Atticus has empathy for Mayella. He knows taking a spit to the face is taking Bobs anger out on him instead of having Mayella be beat. He also feels for Bob. He knows he made every one look down on Bob now even more than they did before. Not only is Bob now in the lowest class but now an abusive father.

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