Examples Of Empathy In To Kill A Mockingbird

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The effects of empathy in to Kill a Mockingbird

Empathy is a main theme in To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee weaves the theme of empathy through many characters. This story takes place in a town called Maycomb, Alabama, in the 1930s. White town folks treat black people bad in Maycomb, but characters show empathy to both colored and white people. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, she shows the good and bad sides of empathy in characters like Atticus, Jem, and Scout. Atticus Finch helps to emphasize the theme of empathy and how it is both good and bad. Atticus shows empathy to Tom when he tries his best to prove Tom is innocent of taking advantage of a Mayella Ewell. Atticus is mocked and made fun of through the town for defending a colored man against a white woman, but Atticus knows what he is doing is right. Bob Ewell, Mayella’s father, is upset at Atticus for …show more content…

Dubose and Tom Robinson. He thinks Mrs. Dubose is just a mean old lady, until he finds out about her morphine addiction and that he is dying. Jem was forced to read to Mrs. Dubose as a punishment for tearing up her garden, where he learns about her addiction. Atticus shows Jem to be empathetic by telling him he would have had to read to her even if he hadn’t destroyed her flowers, he says that half the time Jem was reading to her she probably didn’t even hear it because of her addiction. Atticus teaches Jem a very valuable lesson, he teaches Jem to see things from other people's point of view or “Climb into someone else's skin and walk around in it”. Jem displays empathy towards Tom Robinson because he feels that just because of Tom’s colored skin he is not treated fairly. Tom Robinson is convicted guilty for taking advantage of a white woman. Tom was clearly innocent but still given the death sentence.Jem cries about the ruling in the court and Atticus help him understand that somethings happen just because the color of someone's

Examples Of Empathy In To Kill A Mockingbird
833 Words | 4 Pages
Imagine if you had a friend who came every summer to fill your head with fantastical stories, go on adventures with you, and maybe even get into a bit of trouble. For Jean Louise (Scout) Finch, Dill is the perfect friend for all those scenarios. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mocking Bird, Dill shows up for the first time in the summer before Scout goes to first grade. He immediately becomes best friends with Jem (Jeremy) and Scout Finch. Every summer after that, Dill goes on countless adventures and runs into far too many mishaps with his friends.
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Empathy Quotes In To Kill A Mockingbird
269 Words | 2 Pages
Tom Robinson is an example of a “mockingbird,” he is accused of a false accusation, mainly because he is a black man. This can relate back to one of the many themes of the novel, “prejudice.” Atticus, Scout, and Jem are round and dynamic characters that help to progress the theme of “empathy,” as well as many lessons that Scout and Jem will learn. Morality
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Empathy Quotes In To Kill A Mockingbird
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In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses indirect characterization to show how Scout learns the lesson of empathy. In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee the character Scout initially sees Boo Radly as a terrifying monster that causes trouble. But this was when Scout didn't understand the concept of empathy. This story takes place in a small old southern county called Maycomb. The main character whose nickname is Scout is explaining a rumor to a new friend Dill with her brother Jem about a monstrous being called Boo Radley.
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How Does Lee Use Empathy In To Kill A Mockingbird
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“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 39). Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird follows Scout Finch’s childhood as she grows up in a rural Alabama county during the 1930’s. She and her brother Jem have many adventures in their youth and are raised by their single father Atticus. As they grow up they start to learn the importance of empathy especially when dealing with the racial prejudice that many people around them have.
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Examples Of Empathy In To Kill A Mockingbird
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Empathy Empathy is shown in To Kill A Mockingbird by Atticus standing up for Tom Robinson, Jem realizing that Arthur Radley is not crazy; he is just antisocial, and Scout feeling remorse for tormenting Arthur throughout her childhood. Atticus shows empathy throughout the whole book, from promising Scout that they will read every night, to taking on Tom Robinson’s trial, it’s hard to find a more genuine character. While Atticus knew that the trial may not end well, he still believed he should stand up for what is right, regardless of anyone’s skin color. Atticus was willing to fight a large group of burly men to protect Tom Robinson, it could be that he thought about what he would want others to do if he were in that situation.
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Examples Of Empathy In To Kill A Mockingbird
545 Words | 3 Pages
The concept of empathy is important to Scout’s and Jem’s and the County of Maycomb coming-of-age because they must learn that they cannot judge a person or fully understand one until they have showed some sort of empathy towards that person.
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Examples Of Empathy In To Kill A Mockingbird
414 Words | 2 Pages
Empathy. The ability to understand what someone else is going through by putting oneself in their place and situation. All throughout history, people have struggled with the concept of empathy. For example, Jews have been mistreated for hundreds of years on numerous occasions by those of an advantaged position, African Americans have been subjugated by the privileged White throughout much of American history, and this struggle is even seen today with the prejudice towards Muslims across the world. Harper Lee created a timeless piece of literature that has lived on for plenty of years because of its theme of empathy and the challenges that the characters face regarding it.
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Empathy Quotes In To Kill A Mockingbird
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With their unbeknownst number of kids the Ewell brood, specifically Bob Ewell becomes jealous and outright angry that Atticus would oppose him in the court of law by representing Tom Robinson. Although against the odds Atticus feels empathetic towards the Ewells not necessarily Bob but instead for Mayella, he understands what she is being put through, Suffering through domestic abuse, and in court Atticus even goes so far as to state that he feels sorry for Mayella. To add to this he implies that the man truly guilty of beating Mayella is in the courtroom (Bob Ewell). This did nothing to calm Bob Ewell’s seething manner instead it only escalated it, and in an attempt to get back at atticus he tries to kill his children whom are saved by an unseen and unknown force which killed Mr. Ewell. The precursor towards this however was when Bob Ewell spit on Atticus but even through this Atticus was rational, he thought about it.
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Examples Of Empathy In To Kill A Mockingbird
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In the book TKAM Atticus and his children and their good friend Boo Radley show how to judge right from wrong, show empathy and show compassion towards other people and themselves. In the novel to To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticu there are many different types characters who show many types character traits. Specifically the traits of compassion and empathy. Atticus shows fairness, braveness, and kindness which best shows empathy.
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Examples Of Moral Courage In To Kill A Mockingbird
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One lesson in the book that I feel Jem learns as a part of growing up is moral courage. Atticus once told Jem that “courage is [not] a man with a gun in his hand. It 's when you know you 're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” Jem had always seen bravery as important and often tried to show the courage in him but only learnt about what moral courage really was through a series events that took place in the book.
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Lack Of Empathy In To Kill A Mockingbird
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Lack Of Empathy Leads To An Imbalance Of Power: Former President Barack Obama had stated, “It’s the lack of empathy that makes it very easy for us to plunge into wars.” Obama infers that when people lose empathy, they lose the ability to understand others, which is a key emotion that helps people interact. His message connects to Marxism, a literary theory involving an imbalance of power. In the story “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, the characters’ experiences prove the reader of the significance a lack of empathy causes to the balance of power. An application of Marxism reveals that an imbalance of authoritative power is caused by a lack of empathy.
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Examples Of Empathy In To Kill A Mockingbird
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“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 and for a moment I felt sorry for her.” The reason why Jem and Scout were at Mrs. Dubose’s house, was because Jem and Scout were walking by her house when Dubose started yelling at the kids saying that Atticus is not any better than the “niggers and trash he works for.” Jem lost his temper and takes Scouts baton he bought for her and snaps it in half. Jem destroys all of
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Examples Of Empathy In To Kill A Mockingbird
704 Words | 3 Pages
When reading To Kill a Mockingbird a fiction novel by Harper Lee,there are atrocities that will cause the reader to empathy for the people,because the people are misunderstood and disliked , this going for almost every character in the book in their own ways To have empathy is to understand what somebody is going through, being able to understand because you probably have been through the same or similar things. I think that a man more so a child should never go throw some of the things that Tom Robinson and Walter Cunningham go through , there misunderstood by everyone,mistreated by the other folks, both live and are victims of poverty . Tom Robinson and I are both misunderstood , hurt and victims of poverty making him one of
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Empathy Quotes In To Kill A Mockingbird
827 Words | 4 Pages
Through her novel, the characters Scout and Atticus symbolize the importance and impact of empathy, even when one’s actions seem undeserving of it. Atticus -- a lawyer, a father, but most importantly, a man of moral righteousness and empathy. While
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Empathy Quotes In To Kill A Mockingbird
1087 Words | 5 Pages
Harper Lee and Empathy in “To Kill A Mockingbird” By Tanaka Rwodzi In Harper Lee’s critically acclaimed magnum opus “To Kill A Mockingbird;” Lee emphasizes her view on the importance of empathy through how she depicts empathy in regards to the characters Scout, Tom Robinson, and Atticus. “To Kill A Mockingbird” is a novel shown from the view of Scout, a young girl living in the sleepy town of Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930’s, and her and her brothers escapades; mainly their captivation over an elusive local resident who doesn’t leave his house, and the drawn-out process of a court case against a black man, Tom Robinson, who is falsely accused of rape. Throughout the novel, Harper Lee emphasizes the importance of empathy to her through how she
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Examples Of Empathy In To Kill A Mockingbird