How is empathy the solution to racism and prejudice? The author shows empathy when Atticus agrees to go to court with Tom Robinson. Jem shows empathy when he stops Scout from beating up Walter Cunningham Jr. and he could have been hurt. Empathy was also shown from Scout when she goes with Jem to the hospital were Mrs. Dubose was and she felt sorry for avoiding her all the time. Empathy is shown by many of the characters in the novel in many different ways. Empathy is the solution to racism and prejudice through part one of the novel. Atticus shows empathy towards Tom Robinson when he says that he will take Tom Robinson's case in court. Atticus knew that he would probably lose the court. He didn't want to give up on tom Robinson so …show more content…
Dubose and she felt bad to let him go alone. Scout accompanied Jem to the hospital where Mrs. Dubose was. Scout felt sorry for Mrs. Dubose because they have always hated her but now they began to realize that Mrs. Dubose was not a bad person after all. Jem and Scout would always try and avoid her when they passed by her house. Jem and Scout both had empathy towards Mrs. Dubose now that she was sick because they misunderstood her and would always pre-judge Mrs. Dubose because of who they thought she was but if they would have shown empathy to her before, Scout and Jem would not have ruined Mrs. Dubose's flowers and they wouldn't have prejudged her just because she was an old lady. Atticus showed empathy towards Tom Robinson by going to court. Atticus knew that he would not be able to win the case, but he did know that he would be able to get the truth told. Atticus wanted everyone to know that they were putting an innocent man in the chair. Bob Ewell was being prejudice towards Tom Robinson because he just assumed that he raped his daughter without being sure. Atticus is a role model for the whole town and wants everyone to know that empathy is the solution to racism and prejudice by taking Tom Robinson's case and getting the truth
Atticus views that it is his duty to do his best in the Tom Robinson trial and feels no
Scout was an excellent example of empathy for quite a few reasons. For example, “Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough” (Pg. 374). Scout understood fully what empathy meant to her after she walked Boo home the night of the attack. It was a habit for her to put herself in other shoes and understand their feelings at that point in her life. When Scout thought about this, she was standing exactly where Boo had been for all those years and where he observed those loving, caring, fun kids. Boo literally watched them grow. She knew how he must have felt hearing their screams and to see this drunk man trying to hurt his kids. Yet again, another example of empathy from the main character Scout, “In the corner of the room was a brass bed and in the bed, was Mrs. Dubose. I wondered if Jems activities had put her there. For a moment, I felt sorry.” (Pg.) She looked at Mrs. Dubose and saw her confined to her bed while she and Jem read to her. She felt bad when she remembered Jem trying to kill her camellias. She also felt for her because when she imagined herself in Mrs. Dubose's shoes, she could only imagine how awful it would be to be circumscribed to the same place until death. Scout showed empathy toward both Boo and Mrs.
Atticus remained a pillar of righteousness in a town whose moral foundation was weak to say the least. When Atticus took Tom Robinson's case, he didn't treat the case differently from any other he might take on. He knew that there was no way that Tom would be saved from death no matter how well he defended him. From opening to closing statements, Atticus remained vigilant in his defense of Tom.
Many of the other townspeople respect how Atticus treated all people and colors the same. Atticus sees people as themselves while society judges them. In the Tom Robinson case he earns some support of the townspeople by his fair ways and taking a stand. Atticus is an honest man who says the truth to anyone if they ask. During the Tom Robinson case, Atticus is trying to get the townspeople to see everyone should be treated equally no matter their color, size, or shape. Both Atticus and his children face challenges after Atticus defends Tom Robinson. For example, Atticus is treated horribly by Bob Ewell. He spits in his face and Atticus still treats him with respect. Jem and Scout face problems by people calling Atticus a “negro lover”. People calling Atticus this strongly upsets Scout. Bob Ewell wants revenge and he threatens his children one Halloween night on the way home from a Halloween pageant. Bob attacks Jem and Scout and gives Jem a broken arm and concussion. Luckily, Boo Radley steps in and stabs Bob Ewell. The officer concluded that Bob Ewell fell on his knife. In the end Atticus is a fair, honest, and kind man. He teaches all of these things to Jem and Scout throughout the entire
Empathy was widely displayed in the novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’ Harper Lee incorporates the meaning empathy in her novel by having Atticus Finch demonstrate empathy, and Bob Ewell being opposite by showing hate and anger. Through both characters and families, it is clearly visible about how empathy is important in the growing stages of life. “You never really understand another person until you consider things from his point of view -- until you climb into his skin and walk around it,” these are the words that Atticus said when he taught Scout about empathy to change her way of thinking. Bob Ewell, is a hateful person, he disrespects, threatens and is an extremely violent person. His lack of empathy resulted with the death of Tom Robinson.
To Kill A Mockingbird embodies those very words in every aspect and exemplifies them through its three main characters: Atticus, Scout, and Jem. Yet, with racism and discrimination seemingly making its way back into the twenty first century with increased shootings of African American males and Donald Trump making an effort to export all Muslims out of America etc., the lessons of compassion, understanding and forgiveness shown in To Kill A Mockingbird could be of great use in today’s society. To Kill A Mockingbird demonstrates the value of compassion and understanding through one, Atticus and his taking of Tom Robinson's trial, two, Atticus and his relationship with Scout, and finally, with Atticus and Mrs. Dubose. To start, for most people, the second they learned of Tom Robinson’s accused crime, they knew his fate had most likely already been decided, jail it would be for Mr Robinson, yet Atticus Finch embraced the challenge and took on his case.
Atticus was incredibly courageous taking on tom Robinsons case against the prejudice of Macomb County and he shows incredible courage when he says, "Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try and won." He wants the people of Maycomb to hear the truth about Tom Robinson, "That boy may go to the chair, but he's not going till the truth's told." Chapter 15, Page 146. He was against the whole white community including his own sister practically said that he was a disgrace to his family Atticus tells scout when she asks him why he is taking the case he says "For a number of reasons. The main one is, if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again.
In essence, it is affirmative that empathy is the solution to racism and prejudice. Many scenarios found in the book can connect with the idea of empathy as a solution to racism and prejudice. The author keeps inserting scenarios related to empathy. Textual evidence was shown such as Atticus defending Tom Robinson. Empathy in How To Kill A Mockingbird is definitely a theme surrounding the book and is very crucial in solving situations in which people suffer
Every day when Jem and Scout walk into town, they are forced to walk past the house of an old woman named Mrs. Dubose, who viciously points out everything they are doing wrong. One day as the children are walking into town, Mrs. Dubose makes an awful comment about Atticus defending Tom Robinson because he is black. This immediately angers Scout and especially Jem, but they quickly walk away. As they walk back, Jem instantly notices that Mrs. Dubose isn’t on her porch. He runs and in a fury, cuts the tops off of all of her camellia bushes. Finally, when Atticus arrives home, he orders answers from Jem. As he starts to explain to his dad the reason for his actions, Atticus responds by telling him to walk over and apologize to Mrs. Dubose. By Atticus telling Jem to apologize, he shows respect to Mrs. Dubose, even if he disagrees with her discourse with
Lee shows the importance of expressing empathy towards others around you. She shows this a few times through the novel. The first is when Atticus agrees to help Tom Robinson in his court. Even when no one else in his town notices that Tom is not guilty, Atticus realises how unfair it is to accuse someone for something they didn’t do. Atticus is an empathetic and kind character and Harper Lee tries to showcase that to the readers. This is also shown when in the beginning of the novel Scout, Jem and Dill try to get a look at Boo Radley and Atticus tells them not to disturb Boo. This shows that Atticus knows that if someone wants to be left alone, then you should respect their needs and leave them alone. Atticus also holds
When Walter Cunningham talks about paying Atticus back for the lawyer business he did for Walter and Atticus just simply replies with “Let that be the least of your worries.” On page 27. This quote shows that Atticus will be fair to anyone no matter how poor or what he gave them. Also when Scout is upset that Mr. Ewell lets his kids skip school. To reply Atticus just said “Of course he shouldn’t, but he’ll never change his ways.” (Stated on page 41) This quote relates because he recognizes that Mr.Ewell won’t change his ways so he won’t try to, no matter what Mr.Ewell has done he treats him as an equal. I connect to people being blamed for things they didn’t do because I have 4 brothers. Reasons like To Kill a Mockingbird should’ve help racism be exicint.
Atticus is chosen at the beginning of the novel to be a lawyer for Tom Robinson. Atticus once told Scout “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 85-87). Atticus is a very smart and honest man. Atticus is a lawyer and is appointed to do an almost impossible case. Atticus goes into the trial knowing Tom Robinson was going to lose. Atticus proved to everyone that Tom was innocent then he watched as they voted him guilty then send him to prison. This shows how Atticus was involved with racism in the
Atticus is a lawyer and in the mix of teaching his children the way of life and the way of doing things he comes across a case that in which this time no white man of the law would ever consider taking. A black man named Tom Robinson was accused of rapeing a white woman. Atticus was intended to defend the black male in his case against Bob Ewells and Ewell’s daughter. In the mix he wanted to show his children to keep fighting for something even if the outcome is not to your liking. Atticus was not going to let the racism get to his case or his children, so atticus in his best defense defended the black man as if he would in any other case interfering with the cause. Showing us that in the mix of doing good by justice he also came across the path of evil, but he never let it get to
Unlike most people in the 1930¡¯s, Atticus does not show prejudice towards people belonging to other races. He treats everyone equally and fairly, despite harsh words sneered in his direction. Life in the 30¡¯s was demanding and troublesome, and by agreeing to defend Tom Robinson, an African-American accused of rape, Atticus puts his own life on the line¡£ If an African-American was found near the scene of crime, they would be castigated because the mere color of their skin. Atticus, having this in mind, stands up for righteousness and justice rather than being dragged along by the ideas of the majority. Rather, he follows his heart¡¯s intuition, fearless of the consequences. He insists on viewing individuals much deeper than ...
Throughout the book Atticus tells the children to leave the poor man alone, talking about Arthur Radley. "Son,...I'm going to tell you something and tell you one time: stop tormenting that man. That goes for the other two of you." Atticus, like many of the townsfolk know what happened with Boo Radley. He continuously has to tell them to leave the man alone, because they are being quite crude in acting out his life. Atticus is a very respectful person who is very considerate of other people and their business. He believes that everyone is equal and the social status needs to be corrected. Everyone in the town knows that Atticus treats everyone as equal, and this is one of the major reasons for the judge picking him to defend Tom Robinson. The Judge knows that Atticus will treat this as any other case, and will try his best to defend Tom, and this is the reason that the case actually lasts a long time. Tom Robinson was a very respectful black man who worked for Mr. Link Deas. “Mr. Gilmer was making his way to the witness stand, but before he got there Mr.