There is a Native American quote that says “Don’t judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes.” This quote shows a great example of empathy. Put yourself in their place and see how it feels, you don’t have to agree with, but you should understand them before you make judgements. That is empathy in a nutshell. In In To Kill a Mockingbird Empathy is an essential in the narrator Scout’s growing up or coming of age. There are countless amounts of empathy, which enforces how important empathy is.
Atticus Finch has a great quote very similar to the Native American’s. He says “You can never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-- until you climb into his and walk around in it.” (39 Lee) This comes at a very important time in Scouts growing up. She just came back from her first day of school and Atticus has her think about what Miss Caroline is going through and she has an epiphany. It’s a major turning point in her thinking and it influences her thinking throughout the rest of the book. Put yourself in someone else’s skin is a great way to think of empathy and it shows how smart Atticus really is right away.
We all have those
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In my fifteen years I don’t really have a specific example of empathy, but my parents always have reinforced the idea. My parents say that no matter what you shouldn’t judge someone or act differently if they are rude or look different because you never know what they are going through. Its that same idea of don’t judge someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes. It’s always played a very big part in my first impressions of people or how I react when I’m mistreated. You don’t know what the person is going through. Whether someone yells at me or I see a shady looking person, yes don’t be stupid, but it has really changed how I look at things and it makes me a better person and more
In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the theme of “empathy” is frequently apparent. Throughout the novel, the mockingbird is used as a symbol, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy….That ’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 103). The mockingbird relates back to the theme of empathy because it represents the people who were innocent, yet treated unjustly.
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.
Empathy is the feeling someone sorrow or able to imagine being them. People shouldn’t judge someone without walking in their shoes. People shouldn’t judge people because you never know what there going threw at that moment and time. Empathy is developed by understanding someone struggle just how in the book “To Kill A Mockingbird” I can feel empathy for mayella Ewell and Boo Radley because we went through similar experiences. Mayella Ewell never knew what love was or what it was to have friends.
The actions of Atticus Finch show him to be a sympathetic, sensitive, and conscientious man. It is clear throughout To Kill a Mockingbird that Mr. Finch strives to be sympathetic to the experiences of other people. One particularly poignant scene occurs when he tries to inculcate the same quality in his daughter, Scout. “You never really understand a person until you see things from his point of view…until you climb in his skin and walk around in it;” he explained to her.
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.
In the drenching hot heat of Maycomb county there is a stale feeling of resentment faced toward the African American people. Maycomb isn't the model city of Alabama, it has it problems and that problem is communication; the people are unwary of the African Americans and what they do because they fail to communicate their issues. To better understand the text Harper Lee includes several different themes to better recognize the importance of empathy. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird uses several different themes including the coming of age of several characters, individuals versus society, and prejudice to portray the importance of empathy.
Another example that shows how empathy can benefit you in many ways is in “The Prince and the Pauper.” In the play on page 28 it says “(Edward)These past weeks, I have seen poverty and oppression, inhumanity and intolerance. I do not envy my people the lives they lead… From this day forward, I will strive to improve the lives of my people. (All) Long live the king!
Smash! As the gavel read guilty on a charge of rape for Tom Robinson, this is not the only instance in the book To Kill A Mockingbird where it showed important character traits useful to everyday life. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch, Scout and Jem Finch’s father, have a growing interest about society. They develop an understanding most grownups do not understand through multiple experiences in their life, such as the mystery of Boo Radley, which the kids have tried multiple times get him to come out of his house. During this time, Atticus, is defending Tom, who will later be shot and killed trying to escape from prison after a guilty verdict.
“Nobody actually wants to grow up. We just want the freedom to use our youths. ”-Unknown. This quote represents Scouts character. How she wants to understand the world yet she doesn’t want to grow up.
When Scout complains about Miss Caroline, Atticus states, “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 33). Atticus Finch says empathy is based on sympathy, on being able to see another person 's point of view and comprehend why they act the way they do even if it 's hard to agree with it. He is allocating fatherly advice to Scout by telling her that Miss Caroline was probably just trying to do her best in a new environment. This piece of advice supports Scouts development throughout the novel by making her not as agile to judge.
People don’t realize or understand the truth about someone until they actually get view the true meaning of that someone’s life and what they have to deal with every day. In Harper Lee’s story (TO KILL A MOCKING BIRD) Jem and Scout’s father, Atticus states that, “You never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.” But as the kids age they start to realize that life is not as fair and understanding as it used to be.
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.
Atticus and Scout were talking about how she doesn’t want to go back to school and how she will get along with all different types of people. Atticus explained “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). The quote is saying to walk in someone else’s shoes before jumping to conclusions. It about how about Scout had judges him without actually knowing him. It relates to my thesis because he’s innocent and never did anything wrong.
Compassion is a theme that is demonstrated in many different ways throughout the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Compassion is represented by people who are looked down upon within a community in both the book and today. Jem shows compassion in the novel when he recognizes the unfairness of Tom Robinson’s verdict just because the color of his skin. Atticus expresses compassion for Mrs. Dubose who has a hard time controlling her actions because of her disability. Also, Scout demonstrates compassion for Boo Radley who is an outcast of society because of rumors spread about him.
Understanding and/or Empathy are the most impactful in this story. Atticus is always talking about stepping in someone else's shoes and trying to understand where they come from. Atticus gives the clearest explanation of understanding and empathy when he talks about, climbing in someone's skin and walking around in it. Understanding and empathy are important in my life because instead of judging someone I try to understand things like where they come from, why they’re doing what they are and the things they’re saying. I try and get to know them so I can understand what they’re feeling or experiencing.