Empathy In To Kill A Mockingbird

A common problem when it comes to doling out justice is being able to see it from both sides’ points of view. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, follows Scout Finch, a girl growing up in the Deep South. As the book progresses, Scout must learn empathy from her father Atticus Finch, a lawyer. Several times, the power of empathy plays a crucial role in Scout’s and Atticus’s worldviews.
Atticus particularly believes in empathy, taking the first possible chance to explain it to Scout. After she comes home mad at her new teacher Atticus teaches her his trick to empathy; “If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of

When Dill runs away, she tries to adjust her own family to his description of his, “As Dill explained, I found myself wondering what life would be if Jem were different, even from what he was now; what I would do if Atticus did not feel the necessity of my presence, help and advice. Why, he couldn’t get along a day without me. Even Calpurnia couldn’t get along unless I was there. They needed me.” The resulting picture made her feel so deeply undermined that she attempts to deny it. Dill’s journey to Maycomb is no longer a dubious adventure but a necessity to her mind. It also helps her more deeply appreciate her own family. As Scout grows, she improves at habitual

When Mr. Ewell threatens Atticus, he explains it to Jem, Scout’s brother, and Scout in these words, “Jem, see if you can stand in Bob Ewell’s shoes a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial, if he had any to begin with. The man had to have some kind of comeback, his kind always does.” (249) Atticus can analyze even his enemies motives without strong bias. In this way, however small, he carries out Jesus’ command to love our enemies. This power of understanding also prevents him from the desire for retaliation that drives men like Mr. Ewell.” In the closure of the book, Scout meets Boo Radley and finally understands his viewpoint. Standing on the Radleys’ front porch, Scout recalls the main events of the past years, but as they must have looked to Book as they occurred. By wrapping up the novel with a final example of characters learning important information by stepping in to another’s shoes, it serves as a final moment scout to prove her new found maturity and the lessons she has learned. Finally, the mystery of Boo Radley is cleared up because of