Moral Empathy In Bob Ewell's To Kill A Mockingbird

Maycomb County, a place in which innocent children fall under the influence of their parents who are hypocrites that hide behind their facades, making it the only “normal” they have come to know. Two men, who may seem the exact opposite, really have similarities. On one side, we see Atticus Finch, an extremely wise man by nature who has solid principles and a clear sense of morality. However, we also learn about Bob Ewell, who has an evil and unadmirable nature. Nonetheless, both men may not be so different after all. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the moral empathy is not adequately represented towards other Maycomb County folks. People are just people and no one is naturally different from anyone else, excluding the fact that there are some people who take advantage of their power.

Early in the novel, the author introduces the readers to a divided society in which both, the young and old, are heavily

However, the prejudgements, rumors, misinterpretations, etc. often lead to making that person a target not because of their own self, but for their appearance. Those same reasons also lead to the lack of empathy in an individual. The Maycomb County folks are, “... so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.” (Lee p. 73). They are so busy worrying about protecting themselves that they even forget about the others. People, especially in Maycomb County, avoid identifying themselves in the other person. However, they are willing to take part in a bigger group in order to not identify themselves within the other person not as an individual, but as a group. Every single person is able to make “moral choices.” Lastly, I conclude by saying that by choosing what seems to be the right choice, might be harder for the ones who lack empathy, but as Baron-Cohen says, “the choice still