Empathy And Compassion In To Kill A Mockingbird

Throughout the adultery in life parents have a profound impact on the children, affecting how they perceive the world, how they develop moral principles, and how they choose their courses in life. Maya Angelou once said, “It is time for parents to teach young people that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” This quote portrays the importance of teaching children on the way they should live and respect the diversity of everyone. Her words remind us that attitudes about race, sexuality, and religion begin at home. This illustrates how Scout and Jem Finch will navigate their way throughout the book. The famous novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is set in Alabama in the 1930s and explores issues of racial injustice and moral

Harper Lee illustrates the effects adults have on children by using Atticus and Aunt Alexandra in both positive and negative ways.

Harper Lee uses Atticus Finch to communicate a positive message to his children, in the book To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus is talking to the kids about how they should not be playing a roleplay game of the Radley household. Atticus warns Scout, “If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along better with all kinds of folks. You never understand a person until you consider things from his point of view” (Lee 39). This warning causes Scout to think about her actions towards the Radleys. Scout learns to not assume things about people or their lifestyles based on untrue information. The positive result of this is she is more empathetic toward others. Lee introduces this lesson to Scout so that she remains open minded and keeps our narrator’s innocence. When Atticus Finch educates and warns Scout about keeping an open mind, Atticus Finch is an empathetic person and hopes Scout to take that trait from him. Atticus Finch is explaining to Scout what to do if she can not always get her way and win all the time. Atticus encourages Scout. “Even if

Aunt Alexandra instructs Scout improperly by telling him he is not allowed to play with Walter Cunningham because he is considered trash to others. She demands, “Because- he is trash, that's why you can't play with him. I'll not have you around him, picking up his habits Lord/Knows/What…” (Lee 301). Aunt Alexandra is outlining her reasons for opposing Scout's friendship with Walter. He is trash, according to her, and she does not want Scout to be like him. Scout is disturbed and irritated at this. She is negatively impacted since she is aware of how Walter is perceived by others differently than she is. As a result, Scout will learn over time that the Cunninghams and other families are less human than other families and have him grow up thinking incorrectly. Lee introduces this lesson to educate the audience to not view others as less. Aunt Alexandra carries on to be disrespectful towards people who she considers “lower class” in front of Scout filling her head with nonsense about people who aren't as wealthy. Aunt Alexandra disrespectfully talks to Calpurnia to move her bag and this influences the children to believe people like Calpurnia are lower class. She