Themes Of Empathy In 'To Kill A Mockingbird'

To Kill A Mockingbird Literary Analysis 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.

Empathy is a quality difficult to attain. Not many people can really look through the eyes of someone else most of us are sympathetic. Empathy is almost a rare feeling how often are you going to feel empathy for the syrian refugees or children in Africa? It’s hard to feel empathy for things that we haven't experienced. But in every bundle of people their is an Atticus Finch.

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. To me the word empathy in “To Kill A Mockingbird” means “putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.” Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” suggests that empathy is a universal feeling, but everyone experiences it in different occasions and in different ways. Many people empathize through real life experiences. Scout is one of those people.

Empathy-the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Empathy is showed in To Kill a Mockingbird many times. One example of empathy is shown when Mrs. Maudie is telling the kids not to bother Boo Radley. Another example of empathy is when Atticus is being really nice to Mrs. Dubose. A third example of empathy in the story is when Atticus defends Tom Robinson in the case.

Arthur Radley, colloquially known as Boo Radley, is a reclusive man who refrains from leaving his house. This is a significant social faux pas in Maycomb, and as a result, he is highly gossiped about by the townspeople and negative rumors constantly circulate regarding him and how he is mentally ill and should be feared. At the beginning of the novel, Scouts perception of Boo Radley is no different. As the novel progresses Scout slowly begins to empathise more with Boo; and she begins to fear him less after various events in the novel, such as the times Boo leaves Scout and Jem presents (59-60) and the time Boo places a blanket on Scout 's shoulders during the fire at Miss Maudie’s house (71-72). Scout’s empathy towards Boo Radley is really only fully developed by the end of the novel when Boo saves Jem and Scout from Bob Ewell.

To Kill a Mockingbird focuses on multiple significant ideas to highlight the main ideas of the novel. One of great magnitude is explained in chapter three of the novel when author Harper Lee simplifies the importance of being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes to view each different perspective. “First of all,” he said, “if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folk. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.” Be understanding, realize that honest mistakes happen as in the excerpt with Scout and Walter.

From getting to know someone more on a personal level instead of hearing judgements from other people. An individual is able to neutralize prejudice by understanding how a person lives and feeling empathy for them. Author, Harper Lee has demonstrated this through her Pulitzer Prize winning novel: To kill a mockingbird. Since its first publication in 1960 it has sold over 40 million copies world-wide. Harper Lee wrote this book during marches regarding the civil rights movement for racial equality between black people and white people in the United States.

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.

However In Chapter 31 Scout begins to take the time to see things in Boo Radley’s perspective for instance when scout made a remark at the end of the book “ you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them” (Lee ). This expression is really true empathy. Because as she standing on Boo Radley’s porch Scout starts feeling compassion for him. Scout is really able to see Boo as a human rather than an awkward neighborhood.

Charlotte from the book Charlotte's Web embraces similar qualities to Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird. In Charlotte’s Web, a pig named Wilbur fearfully awaits the day his owner slaughters him. A clever spider named Charlotte notices Wilbur’s angst and feels tremendous empathy toward him. As a result, Charlotte weaves a web that illustrates positive words describing Wilbur. Charlotte intentionally brings attention to Wilbur so his owner will develop empathy for him as well.

They do not realize that Boo considers them as his children, and that he cares for and loves them. For example, Boo gives precious and valuable personal items to Scout and Jem as a present: "two pieces of chewing gum minus their outer wrappings" (33). Later in the story, Boo covers Scout with a blanket while she is sitting outside so she doesn't get cold, sews Jem's pants back up after they are torn, and when it comes to it, even kills for them. As Scout matures she realizes that Boo Radley was not all that she had been led to believe originally, and she starts to regret her previous assumptions: "I sometimes felt a twinge of remorse, when passing by the old place, at ever having taken part in what must have been sheer torment to Arthur Radley — what reasonable recluse wants children peeping through his shutters, delivering greetings on the end of a fishing pole, wandering in his collards at night?" (242).

To Kill a Mockingbird is full of heart wrenching and painful moments that shaped and defined each and every inhabitant of Maycomb, Alabama. Atticus Finch, the father of the main protagonist, once said, "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 51). This was a lesson he taught to Scout, the narrator and main protagonist of the story. Scout never fully grasps the idea of this concept until the very end of the story, but throughout the story she exhibits this lesson and is empathetic without even knowing it. No character felt others emotions quite like Scout, even if it was right away, a little while after, or even the whole book.

Adversity. Struggles and misfortunes. Adversity teaches a person many lessons. It helps a person to grow and become a stronger individual. One learns to overcome obstacles and be resilient through the obstacles they come to find.

“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.

Harry Halvorsen Mr. Kanda Survey 1 12 November 2014 To kill a mockingbird final draft In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, many characters experience empathy in different ways.. The growth of the children in the book can be compared to a kindergartner and a college student.