ipl-logo

Atticus Empathy Quotes

707 Words3 Pages

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

Show More
Related
926 Words | 4 Pages

Harper Lee’s novel, To kill a Mockingbird, is a book about the Finch family, living in Maycomb, Alabama, during the early 1930s. The book is told through the perspective of an 8-year-old girl called Scout, and it's about the struggles she and her brother Jem, age 11, face when their father Atticus takes a case defending a black man accused of raping a white girl. Lee embraces the idea of nonviolent resistance and shows how sometimes it can be the most powerful influence in change, how hate is not the way, and she pushes the reader to consider their worldview about the differences among people. The Author shows her belief in nonviolence in many ways throughout this book.

Read More
706 Words | 3 Pages

it's a good one, even if it does resist learning” (Lee 101). Atticus was a extremely tolerant man. The reader can clearly see this by how he handled all the insults that were being thrown at him. He also tried to teach his two children, mainly Scout, about tolerance, which is seen many times in the first part, since Atticus is aware of the negativity that the trial will soon bring. Overall, Atticus was a respectful man who believed that everyone was equal to each other; he also was a marvelous father that tried to indoctrinate his children about three golden qualities: tolerance, respect, and

Read More
258 Words | 2 Pages

Atticus Finch shows many ways of wisdom throughout the novel. He tells Scout to respect Boo Radley and to understand the fact that their might be reason why Boo always stays at home. Atticus states in the novel, “You never truly understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-until you climb into his skin and walk around it” (Lee, 39). This evidence supports why Atticus is a wise individual who always tries to see things from other people’s point of view.

Read More
251 Words | 2 Pages

Atticus orders them to stop and tells them to “stop tormenting that man”. He tells the kids that whatever Mr.Radley does is his business. Atticus doesn't want the kids invading the privacy of the Radleys and warns them to stop playing the game. Atticus tells the kids to stop because as an adult he understand the privacy of others.

Read More
737 Words | 3 Pages

The novel questions the inadequacies of Atticus ’parenting skills because he treats Jem and Scout like adults. Atticus makes mistakes as a parent but capitalizes on them to teach life lessons to his children. He inspires his children to think for themselves, instills moral values, uses racial language to get his point across and believes in fair treatment of humans regardless of their beliefs. First, Atticus treats Jem and Scout like adults which is evident in his style of discipline. For example, Atticus has a mutual agreement with Scout in regards to going to school.

Read More
727 Words | 3 Pages

Atticus’s moral was that the actions of one individual does not define the actions of an entire group. What makes this exceptional is that it presents the reader with something to think about and process, which gives the title a layer of depth. Harper Lee uses this depth to add to Atticus’s character making the speech more than just words to read, it gives the reader a sense that Atticus was actually a real person. Adding to this, the speech uses previous information that was given to the reader to give it a sense of time flow. Such as when Atticus brought up the educational system stating: “The most ridiculous example I can think of is that the people who run public education promote the stupid and idle along with the industrious [...]”(p.274).

Read More
974 Words | 4 Pages

Atticus explains to Scout that he is defending the black man because it is the right thing to do. Atticus states, “You might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fists down.” (Lee 101). Scout listened to what her father told her and she walked away from the fight. This scene in the novel highlights Scouts maturity level.

Read More
459 Words | 2 Pages

Atticus tells Scout, "Try fighting with your head for a change... it's a good one, even if it does resist learning."(Lee,101). Atticus only wants the best for Jem and Scout, which is showing simple love. For instance, Atticus states, "She asked me to tell you you must try to behave like the little lady and gentleman that you are."(Lee,177). This shows that Atticus wants to be a positive influence to his kids.

Read More
1156 Words | 5 Pages

“To Kill a Mockingbird” written by Harper Lee is an award winning novel published in the 1960’s it explores the main theme of racial differences in the early 1930’s and the many struggles, acceptance challenges and problems that black people faced during this time period. Set in the country town of Maycomb County, Southern Alabama it follows the story of a family, a lawyer named Atticus Finch and his two children Scout and Jem. As the two children, Scout and Jem grow up their father teaches them life lessons which in that time and in their community were said to be different and unlike everyones else’s ideas which were therefore redeemed as un normal. Proceeding through the story it uncovers the harsh ways of growing up and being introduced

Read More
460 Words | 2 Pages

The story, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee has a unique setting of 1933-1935 during the great depression period, in the small county of Maycomb, Alabama. Within the constructs of the story, it follows two characters who consist of Scout and Jem Finch while they live through the great depression and their father Atticus Finch. This story explores the themes of role models, prejudice, Jim Crow law, and morality. The two main characters within the few years that the story takes place experience many changes in their character development and morals by learning many lessons from people around them. However, the person that had the biggest impact on changing Scout and Jem's morals would likely be Atticus Finch, a role model for both of them

Read More
508 Words | 3 Pages

Atticus is a source of stability and comfort for his two children, especially during the most difficult times in their life. He is always there for them offering guidance and support at all times. He is a man of high intelligence and wisdom, he is a man of major integrity, and he is willing to stand up for what he believes is right, even when that opinion is unpopular to the common crowd.

Read More
525 Words | 3 Pages

This quote highlights Atticus' belief in the importance of individual moral judgment, even when it goes against societal norms. As well, Atticus teaches his children the value of empathy, advising them to "climb into someone's skin and walk around in it" (Lee 39). This metaphor serves as a powerful reminder that understanding others is essential in making fair and compassionate decisions. Atticus' character embodies the literary device of a moral compass, guiding other characters and readers alike in discerning right from wrong. His unwavering commitment to justice is evident when he asserts, "Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win" (Lee 101).

Read More
879 Words | 4 Pages

According to Atticus, it is considered a sin to harm a mockingbird because “mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us.” By drawing a parallel between mockingbirds and vulnerable members of society, Atticus teaches his children the importance of embracing kindness and refraining from causing harm to those who pose no threat. Towards the conclusion of the novel, Scout demonstrates her understanding of the mockingbird metaphor when she reflects on the necessity of keeping Boo Radley's actions secret by comparing exposing Boo's deeds to “shooting a mockingbird”, thereby highlighting her ability to apply the metaphor to individuals in her own life. Scout's observation serves as evidence of her personal growth throughout the narrative, as she embraces the principles of empathy and ethical behaviour that Atticus

Read More
536 Words | 3 Pages

Atticus is shown to have a strong belief in equallity, while everyone else is judged merely for the color of their skin. This gives to how Atticus is able to resist corruption, not showing prejudice to those who didn’t do anything to deserve

Read More
794 Words | 4 Pages

Atticus is teaching Scout not to give up because she has had a bad experience and to be a law abiding citizen even if others do not follow the law. During school Ms. Caroline who is a school teacher tells Scout to stop reading. Ms. Caroline upsets Scout which is another reason Scout does not want to return to school. Atticus explains “ If you’ll concede the necessity of going to school, we’ll go on reading every night..” (Lee 41).

Read More

More about Atticus Empathy Quotes

Related Topics

Open Document