Theme Of Empathy In To Kill A Mockingbird

It is very important that writers are able to send a message to their reader with their book. Authors best do this by bringing about empathy. In order to send this message, authors often develop strong characters that go through various problems and struggles. The book, To Kill a Mockingbird, shows this very well with its characters Scout Finch and Tom Robinson. This book helps the readers learn from the character’s reactions to their problems. Also, the idea that authors build well developed characters to bring about a deeper understanding is shown through the poem Sympathy by Paul Laurence Dunbar. In this poem, the speaker explains of being trapped in the things that society says about him. Through these texts, it is evident that authors can best create empathy in their readers by developing great characters because when characters go through daily events that are challenging and troublesome, the readers are able to relate and understand what they are going through or we are able to learn from their experiences and influence us to adjust our lifestyles.

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

Atticus’ fairness displays he is a good parent because he considers that everyone deserves a chance to be understood and have motives for their actions. After disclosing the news to his son and daughter of Tom’s death, Atticus says, “Depends on how you look at it. What was one Negro, more or less, among two hundred of ‘em? He wasn’t Tom to them, he was an escaping prisoner” (Lee 235). Atticus always attempts to place himself in other people’s places in order to give everyone a chance of being understood. He still speaks highly of the people who killed Tom Robinson an

Furthermore, the most reoccurring character trait that Atticus portrays is empathy. For instance, Atticus shows Scout how he understands and share the feeling of others when Scout had trouble adapted to a new teacher in Maycomb. Atticus shows empathy towards Radley family because he understands that rumors relating to the Radley family causes the family a great deal of trouble and unwanted attention from curious youngsters such as Jem, Dill, and Scout. An instance in the novel when Atticus showed empathy towards the Radleys is on page 65 “I’m going to tell you something and tell you one time: stop tormenting that man.” Atticus says this quote to Jem when he was trying to get Boo Radley outside. This quote deduces that Atticus

Without compassion the world would be a dark place, there would be no such thing as love and there would be no one to lend a helping hand. Even in society today, people approach situations with no compassion, humans discriminate against others because of differences in color or appearances. In the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" the author, Harper Lee, writes about a town that shows no compassion towards people of color even when there are lives at risk. In the book, we learn that "[you 'll] never understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."(Lee 30) All members of the Finch family show compassion towards others in the book "To Kill a Mockingbird", Scout shows compassion

Atticus is a morally upright person who teaches his kids a number of important life lessons and leads by example. In Chapter 3, of To Kill A Mockingbird Atticus shows an interest in Scouts feelings as he is quick to notice that something is bothering her. Scout tells Atticus of her rough first day at school and teaches her an important lesson. Atticus says, “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 view" (Lee 39). Atticus also continuously advises Scout and Jem to maintain self-control and to engage in respectful behaviors throughout the book. In Chapter 9, Scout asks Atticus if he defends “niggers” Atticus explains to Scout that he will be defending a man named Tom

To Kill a Mockingbird is a book about a lawyer that has to try and save a man named Tom Robinson,because he has accused of something he didn 't do. To Kill a Mockingbird is an award winning book written by Harper Lee. Tom Robinson is a black man that was accused of raping a woman and a lawyer, named Atticus Finch, has to try and save him. Atticus is a kind and selfless man that likes to help people like Tom Robinson.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Jem grows from a little boy to an intelligent young man. Throughout the book, he discerns many things that shape his personality. As Jem grows, he learns how bad society is and that not everyone is perfect. Fortunately for Jem, this ends up helping him and he finds out that Atticus is a hero and that he should look up to Atticus. Through Atticus and the trial, Jem loses his innocence by learning about prejudice, bravery, and that the justice system is crippled.

As the hero of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch has an unorthodox outlook on racism. He says, “As you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t you forget it— whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash.” (252). This outlook allows him to approach the obstacles that come with a trial of a black man vs a white woman. Harper Lee, the author of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, worked on revisions for 2.5 years on the novel before it was published in 1960. Many events and characteristics in the novel are real memories experienced by Harper Lee. Scout Finch’s character

Atticus put his career; actually, his life at risk to save the unlucky black man, Tom Robinson, as the narrator says “Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men's hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.” (Lee 266). Atticus is categorized as a courageous man with real courage because with the amount of strength he put in to defend Tom Robinson, he was appreciated by the whole black community, and at the same time take care of his two children perfectly well. Atticus also teaches his kids valuable lessons, the ones that you wouldn’t learn in school; introducing them to the real world, the world with racial segregation. Jem and Scout took conscious of the world around them thanks to Atticus. Scouts wants to be just like Atticus and since small, she stood up for what she believed, which was the way she grew up. As a result, Scout and Atticus have both the quality of having real courage because the put the most important things

Our whole lives growing up we are told to follow the “Golden Rule”. This rule is defined as to treat someone the way you want to be treated. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch a lawyer in a town called Maycomb in Alabama tries his best to be a role model for his two children. In the quiet town of Maycomb Atticus is given the job to defend a black man named Tom Robinson. Atticus wants to teach his kids Jem and Scout life lessons at an early age so they grow up as respectable people. Atticus takes the trial knowing the consequence that him and his family will be harrassed by the town because it is the right thing to do. Atticus finch decides to defend Tom Robinson to be a good role model for his children and prove that the “Golden Rule” is a rule to

Dubose. Atticus explains to them that sometimes in life one has to do things one may not enjoy in order to serve others. Atticus then connects Jem and Scout’s struggle with Mrs. Dubose to himself and the trial. Atticus says to Scout and Jem “ ‘Tom Robinson’s case, is something that goes to the essence of a man’s conscience- Scout, I couldn't go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that man’ ” (Lee 139). The moment is showing the moral justice behind Atticus's reasoning for defending Tom. Atticus shows how not only is he defending Tom because he knows he is innocent, but he is saying how the action would literally goes against his moral conscience. Atticus shows compassion because he is choosing to see equality in others and how Tom Robinson is no less of a man because of the color of his skin. In the moment, Atticus not only shows compassion towards Tom but also genuine respect.

He was appointed to defend a black man named Tom Robinson for raping Mayella Ewell. Most townsfolk caught news of this and instantly began to give Atticus dirty looks and began calling him vulgar names. Atticus, is a very nice person who wants to do the right thing, and he has an opinion about people who disagree with him defending Tom Robinson. “They’re certainly entitled to think they, and they’re entitled to full respect for their opinions.” (120). Jem and Scout are also bugged at school, for example Cecil Jacob’s makes fun of Atticus for defending Tom. “He announced in the school-yard the day before that Scout Finch’s daddy defended negros.” (85) Atticus and his children are affected by this for the majority of the story, and it is what sparks Bob Ewell’s revenge of trying to kill Jem and Scout. Prejudice is common with them, as people like Cecil Jacobs and Bob Ewell just assume Atticus choose to take the Tom Robinson case, however he is simply doing his job as a lawyer to defend them whether he thinks they are guilty or

Another well known lesson taught by Atticus is about empathy. Empathy is defined as: the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. This is shown in chapter three when Scout encountered some problems with her new, first grade teacher, Mrs. Caroline. The little girl was mature well beyond her years, therefore, when she was asked to read out loud, Scout read with near perfect fluency. However, the teacher was surprisingly displeased with her advanced level in literature and flow, and assuming it was Atticus who was educating his daughter, Mrs. Caroline wanted the ‘lessons’ to come to a stop. This aggravated Scout tremendously and defeated her excitement for school and as the day continued, both did not get along. As Scout came

As defined in the dictionary, empathy is “the ability to share someone else’s feelings” (Merriam -Webster). Empathy is portrayed through emotions such as pity, compassion, and understanding. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, empathy can be found consistently in the actions and words of the characters. This repetition establishes kindness and sympathy towards specific characters, while building up hatred towards others.