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Atticus Empathy Quotes

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The novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee tells the story of Scout Finch, a young girl, and her older brother Jem living in Maycomb County, Alabama in the 1930s, during the Great Depression. The story highlights the harsh realities of poverty and how one should never take anything for granted. Atticus Finch, the father of Scout and Jem, shows his success in parenting when he teaches his kids the importance of empathy, not judging a book by its cover, and keeping your head raised high. Atticus shows empathy when he encourages his kids to leave Boo Radley alone, the idea of “not judging a book by its cover” when putting himself in the position of others, and making sure his daughter, Scout, keeps her head raised high and not let violence …show more content…

This is shown when Scout and Jem are trying to get the attention of Boo Radley, their neighbor, who hasn't been seen since he was a teenager. Atticus feels as though these actions were wrong and decides to stand up for Boo. For example, on page 65, Atticus says, “I'm going to tell you something and tell you one time: stop tormenting that man.” In this quote, Atticus is trying to get his children to leave Boo alone and let him be. Furthermore, this comment reveals that Atticus cares for Boo Radley in the sense that he understands how being picked on might make him feel. Ultimately, Atticus is trying to teach his children the importance of understanding the impact their actions have, and instead of making fun of someone, they should put themselves in their position and wonder what it might be like to be …show more content…

Throughout the novel, Scout gets made fun of because of the fact that her father is defending a black man. Scout’s classmates treat her as though something is wrong with her father and often refer to him using racial slurs. Even though she gets mistreated, Atticus reminds Scout it's not worth it. This is shown on page 87 Atticus says, “Hold your head high but keep those fists down.” In this comment, Atticus is talking to Scout about how though people may try to provoke her, she should try and stand up for herself in a way that doesn't include violence. In addition, Atticus wants to teach his kids to do the right thing without choosing violence. He wants to instill ways to solve problems without resorting to physical aggression, along with the fact that he wants them to strive to be better in terms of solving

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