Examples Of Compassion In To Kill A Mockingbird

Compassion is a way you feel for others when you notice some sort of suffering in their life. Many people look at someone and have thoughts about their appearance or how they act. But some others truly dig deep down, into understanding what that person has been through and their background. They find some compassion by having a feeling of pity. In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Scout, a young girl, finds herself watching a court case between Tom Robinson and Mayella Ewell. Tom Robinson, a colored man, had been accused of violating Mayella. While Mayella is called to the stand as a witness, she is crying and looks very timid. After the lawyers ask her questions about her story and life, Mayella reveals some information about her family, including that her mother is dead and she is the oldest. As the only one of her many siblings with a little education, she is left to

While sitting in the courtroom, Scout observes, “As Tom Robinson gave his testimony, it came to me that Mayella Ewell must have been the loneliest person in the world. She was even lonelier than Boo Radley, who had not been out of the house in twenty-five years. When Atticus asked had she any friends, she seemed not to know what he meant, then she thought he was making fun of her.” (Lee 256). Mayella doesn’t have anyone to rely on. She has no friends or family who actually helps her with everyday things. Mayella spends most of her time by herself. Living a lonely life can be suffering. Hooria Jazaieri, a researcher with a Ph.D from Northwestern University, emphasizes, “Compassion can be thought of as a mental state or an orientation towards suffering (your own or others’).” Some people viewing the court case have compassion for Mayella. Scout realizes Mayella’s real situation of suffering when she is sobbing at the stand: she wasn’t capable of completely tough house chores by herself. Mayella suffers because of all her time spent