Empathy in To Kill a Mockingbird - 1507 Words

In the novel ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee, learning to â€Å"walk about in someone’s skin† is a main theme, particularly as two of the main protagonists Jem and Scout learn to do this as they grow up throughout the book along with the reader. Atticus, the children’s father, educates the children on how to treat and comprehend other people. As Jem and Scout grow older in the novel, they begin to understand this lesson and act upon it both knowingly and sub-consciously. Scout empathises with Walter Cunningham during school at the beginning of the book. When her teacher, Miss Caroline offers Walter a quarter because he has no lunch (Walter’s family can not afford it and so he says he’s forgotten it) and refuses it, Miss Caroline can†¦show more content†¦Atticus wants them to empathise with her so they can see how much courage she had and learn â€Å"what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand.† They both begin to understand why she was the way she was and see that she was actually a â€Å"great lady†, â€Å"had her own views about things† and died â€Å"beholden to nothing and nobody.† The reader sees that Jem in particular empathises with her at the very end of the chapter when Scout says, â€Å"He picked up the camellia, and when I went off to bed I saw him fingering the wide petals.† This shows that Jem was now beginning to understand and think about Mrs Dubose in a new light and he could now see her perspective. She was not just a bitter old lady. She was a courageous woman who stuck to her opinions right to the end and was determined to be rid of her morphine addiction before she died. Later in the novel when both the children have matured since the beginning, Scout has found herself involved in the ladies meeting by Aunt Alexandra and realises what it is like to be a lady. After hearing the horrid announcemen t of Tom Robinson’s death, Scout sees how affected by the news Aunt Alexandra is she till retains her lady-like manners as she has company. Scout thinks, â€Å"After all, if Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I.† Scout allows herselfShow MoreRelatedEssay On Empathy In To Kill A Mockingbird1109 Words   |  5 PagesSmall town America is a fantasy of friendly neighbors and lovely lives. To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in a small town and is nothing close to the fantasy of friendly neighbors and lovely lives. 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In such an environment of inequality, Atticus teaches his children the importance and value of empathy, and of trying to see the world through the eyes of other people. In the novel â€Å"To Kill A Mockingbird† by Harper Lee, learning to â€Å"walk aboutRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird Empathy Analysis863 Words   |  4 Pages Human interaction is important in todays 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. Scout is a child who is playful and curious. Since she is still young, Scout doesnt have a lot of experienceRead MoreEssay On Empathy In To Kill A Mockingbird871 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout the course of To Kill a Mockingbird, the siblings Jem and Scout torment a man named Boo Radley because they think that he is a malevolent ghost. Boo still loves them like a father would and keeps them under a watchful eye even though they treat him like a caged animal. Jem and Scout do not realize this and continue to torment him. The relationship between Boo and Jem changes in the middle of the book, when Boo gives them gifts, Jem realizes what he has done and learns that Boo is a personRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird Empathy Essay1115 Words   |  5 PagesIn the novel â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† is about a man the south named Atticus who demonstrates empathy. As time goes on there are a lot of problems that create Atticus as a character. The story takes place in the 1930†™s which is during the Great Depression, when the people in Maycomb have a hard time making money so they pay them with ever they got. Atticus has two children Jem and Scout.Atticus is trying to teach them a lesson. Lee uses the character of Atticus Finch to teach the reader the importanceRead MoreEmpathy and Social Change in To Kill a Mockingbird, Milk, and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner1519 Words   |  7 PagesEmpathy and Social Change in To Kill a Mockingbird, Milk, and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner Empathy: â€Å"The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experiences fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner† (according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary). When we think of socialRead MoreAnalysis Of Kill A Mockingbird By Har per Lee1248 Words   |  5 PagesrRealistic fFiction novels because it helps the reader understand what the author is trying to convey. In this novel with the title To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee used that to her own advantage;, the techniques in this book were very clear to the eye and it helped the reader more to understand the part that they were reading. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird the story is about a little girl named Scout who lives in the south in a little town called Maycomb, Alabama and during the Great DepressionRead MoreSympathy Of A Mockingbird By Harper Lee926 Words   |  4 Pagesbecause you know what it is like to have those feelings. This understanding of how someone feels is empathy which among other things is the main idea in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Empathy is shown greatly in To kill a Mockingbird whether it be a person feeling for another person or a simply a person towards an insect. The best and most obvious example of empathy in To Kill a Mockingbird is that of scout towards Boo Radley. In the book scout says, â€Å"Atticus was right. One time he said you