Empathy is a great quality that many people try to acquire in order to become a better person. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, many characters are able to feel empathetic toward others and can understand their problems or struggles. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Being empathetic is important because it leads to having a better understanding of the person, resulting in a better society. Examples of characters in the story who experience the feeling of empathy are Atticus, Scout, and Dill.
Atticus Finch demonstrates the quality of empathy multiple times throughout the story. He is characterized as being selfless and empathetic towards others, and he is always trying to teach his kids to be the
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Scout learns many things from her father, and feeling empathetic is one of the many qualities she is able to achieve throughout the story as she matures. On Scout’s first day of school, her classmate, Walter Cunningham, did not have his lunch. The teacher, Miss Caroline, offered to give him a quarter. However, Walter Cunningham did not accept the quarter, making Miss Caroline impatient as to why he wouldn’t take it. Walter then asks Scout to explain the situation to Miss Caroline. She says, “. . .The Cunninghams never took anything they can’t pay back-no church baskets and no script stamps. They never took anything of of anybody, they get along with what they have. They don’t have much, but they get along with it’” (Lee 26). Scout explains from Walter’s perspective the reason why he can’t accept the quarter. Scout is able to understand what Walter’s family is like, from their point of view. The way that Scout is able to look at the situation from Walter’s shoes, shows she is empathetic towards him and his family. At the end of the story, Scout is also able to have the feeling of empathy towards Boo Radley. Boo Radley is a man who has not left his house, making Scout curious about him throughout the whole story. At the end of the story, while Jem and Scout are being attacked, Boo Radley comes outside to save them and bring them home. When leaving to go back to his house, Boo asks Scout to come with him. While Scout is walking home she thinks, “I had never seen our neighborhood from this angle. . . It was summertime, and two children scampered down the sidewalk toward a man approaching in the distance. . . It was fall, and his children fought on the sidewalk in front of Mrs. Dubose’s. . . Winter, and his children shivered at the front gate”(Lee 373). Scout is looking at the past year from Boo’s perspective. She is able to stand in his shoes and watch Boo’s view of her and
There are some people in this world that can truly understand, or try to understand people and their feelings. They can relate to them on some sort of level. Then there's is plenty of people in this world who have no empathy at all. They don’t feel for people or even try to understand. That's exactly why everyone should read To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The book is about a little girl named Scout and her older brother Jem, who is going through some changes as they grow older in the racist south where their father, a lawyer has a case about a black man raping a white woman. Over the course of the book, both characters grow in great measures. Their father is always teaching them in little ways what’s right/wrong, and what’s good/bad.
The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is set in Alabama in the 1930s, and concerns itself primarily with the interrelated themes of prejudice and empathy. These themes are explored as the story follows Scout Finch as she learns lessons in empathy, ultimately rejecting prejudice. While all characters in Lee’s novel learn from their experiences, not all are able to grow in the same manner as Scout. The idea of a positive role model, typified by the character of Atticus Finch, and the ramifications of its absence, is a concept that Lee places much emphasis on. The isolated setting is also pivotal in the development of characters. Lee uses the contrast between characters that learn lessons in empathy and compassion, and characters that cling to the ideals of a small town, to explore factors that nurture or diminish prejudice.
I am reading, “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. In the first three chapters Jem and his younger sister Scout meet Dill, who stays over at his Aunt’s house in the summer. Dill becomes fascinated with the Finches neighbor; also know as the town creep Boo Radley. He is so interested in Boo because he allegedly killed his father and ever since never comes outside. In this journal, I will be predicting that the kids will not meet Boo.
In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird, empathy is demonstrated throughout the novel. Empathy can be defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Atticus tries to explain to Jem and Scout about what he experiences and the things that are happening in Maycomb County. Several characters learn empathy and understand how they feel about certain things and understand the experiences of others. This plays a major role in the novel.
Have American’s lost the ability to show empathy? Although a novice reader may struggle to see how a book written over 50 years ago bears any connection to our modern world, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird could not be any more relevant. The citizens of fictional Maycomb County acknowledge their flawed legal system and unfair social castes as unfortunate truths of life, of which all you can do is accept it as fact. The sole exception is lawyer Atticus Finch, who is in charge of defending the accused in court. After seeing all too many men receive a sentence simply because of the color of their skin, Atticus embarks on a quest to teach Jem and Scout, his children, that prejudice can be fought. By understanding and exposing ourselves to different people, we can free ourselves from prejudice.
Keeping a mouth shut doesn't hold the world shut out, it opens up new doors to things that would never be expected. In To Kill A Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, there is are two character that is are an eternal mystery for the readers. Boo Radley, though the reader nor Scout and Jem know anything about the character all they want is to learn about him. Boo becomes a mysterious figure that many see as creepy, ghostly, but also reasonably wise. The one-time Boo appears the readers learn he is a sagacious, powerful man. Little do Scout and Jem know is that their father is also a rational being as well. The two crucial character in the story helps support the
Throughout the story, Jem and Scout experience different people, and grow up in the process, differentiating from the good and the bad. A major character in the lives of the children was Tom Robinson, who was found guilty for no apparent reason. Mrs. Dubose acted very intolerant towards the children, but in the end Jem learned some things very valuable from her. Boo Radley, our “mockingbird”, is revealed to be one of the good guys, like a silent savior. The children learn their lessons, as it can be seen when Scout acts like a lady when Jem is being a teenager, when Dill loses his innocence, and when Jem hits adolescence.
Nobel Peace Prize winner, Desmond Tutu, once said “frequently people think compassion and love are merely sentimental. No! They are very demanding. If you are going to be compassionate, be prepared for action” (values.com). When one thinks of compassion, sympathy and sorrow come to mind. However, compassion also is accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering. This can be accomplished by standing up for what one believes is right. Throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee deeply develops her theme that compassion is understanding someone else’s perspective and using this compassion to stand up against society.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus is perceived by many as a very empathetic character because of many reasons. For example, as you know Atticus is a well-respected lawyer in Maycomb and many people look up to him, and even though he knows that defending Tom Robinson will harm that reputation among white people, he still chose to defend Tom Robinson. His ability to empathize with Tom Robinson shows not only the type of person he is, but also how he treats every one equally. Atticus’ spirit of empathy is not just shown in the Tom Robinson case. After the case is over, Bob Ewell greets Atticus by spitting on him and saying some rude remarks. But Atticus reacts calmly and doesn’t fight back. When the children hear of this situation, of course they are furious, but Atticus being the person he is tells them simply “…If you can just stand in Bob Ewell’s shoes a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility.” (Lee, 292). Another example of Atticus being empathetic is when he is speaking to Uncle Jack about lying to Scout Atticus says “Jack! When a child asks you something, answer him, for goodness’ sake. But don’t make a production of it. Children are children, but they can spot an evasi...
Scout and Jem are very close. They are very protective of each other and worry about each other often. When Jem, Scout , and Dill went to the Radley house at night Jem’s pants became stuck on the fence. Jem went to retrieve his pants and Scout wanted to come with to help and protect him, but Jem did not let her because he was protecting her making sure that she would not hurt herself. When Jem was gone Scout waiting for him to return because she was worried he would hurt himself. Another example is when Jem and Scout were attacked by Bob Ewell. Before they were attacked Jem thought he heard someone following them so Jem walked with his hand on Scout’s head worried about her and trying to protect her. When Mr. Ewell attacked them, they were trying to help each other and protect each other. After the attack while Jem was unconscious Scout was even more worried about Jem then she was before. Scout learns from Jem as well. An example is that Jem taught Scout and Dill the history of the Radleys and the superstitions that the town has of Boo Radley. The actions of Jem and Scout reveal the close relationship that they have with each
One character who displayed the quality of empathy was Jem Finch. Jem was growing up to be a fine young man who learned how to put himself in others shoes or empathy. “Atticus is a gentleman just like me” (Pg.131). As Jem was coming of age, he found that he preferred to carry out situations the way Atticus did. He admired the way Atticus thought-logically,
Do you not believe we need more compassion and tolerance in the world? Why can we not be like Atticus, Jem or Scout from To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee? These characters show great compassion and tolerance throughout the novel despite the society they live in. They have the courage to stand up for what they believe in.
Before the statement, she liked to assume information and had little understanding of others. During her first day of school, Scout spoke to Miss Caroline and Scout stated,”Walter’s one of the Cunninghams” (26). She just assumed that Miss Caroline understood these things about Maycomb. However, after Atticus makes the statement about understanding from another’s point of view, Scout turns into a new woman. She even finds herself understanding Boo Radley when she recalled,”Atticus was right… just standing on the Radley porch was enough” (374). Scout has started to gain the quality of understanding people from their points of
As the book comes to a close, readers can see just how mature and empathetic Scout has become. After Scout and Jem, Scout’s brother, are saved by Arthur “Boo” Radley, the town shut-in, Scout walks Boo home and after he walks back into her house, she turns around and just stares out at the street from Boo’s point of view instead of from her own. Her father taught her that you should
Scout starts to understand people’s needs, opinions, and their points of view. In the beginning, Scout does not really think much about other people’s feelings, unless it directly pertains to her. Jem and Dill decided to create a play based on the life of one of their neighbors, Boo Radley. According to neighborhood rumors, Boo got into a lot of trouble as a kid, stabbed his father with scissors, and never comes out of the house. The children create a whole drama and act it out each day. “As the summer progressed, so did our game. We polished and perfected it, added dialogue and plot until we had manufactured a small play among which we rang changes every day” (Lee 52). Scout turned Boo’s life into a joke, something for her entertainment. She did not think about how Boo would feel if he knew what they were doing. Near the end of the book, while Boo was at the Finch house, Scout led him onto the porc...