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Examples Of Compassion In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Compassion is a way you feel for others when you notice some sort of suffering in their life. Many people look at someone and have thoughts about their appearance or how they act. But some others truly dig deep down, into understanding what that person has been through and their background. They find some compassion by having a feeling of pity. In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Scout, a young girl, finds herself watching a court case between Tom Robinson and Mayella Ewell. Tom Robinson, a colored man, had been accused of violating Mayella. While Mayella is called to the stand as a witness, she is crying and looks very timid. After the lawyers ask her questions about her story and life, Mayella reveals some information about her family, including that her mother is dead and she is the oldest. As the only one of her many siblings with a little education, she is left to …show more content…

While sitting in the courtroom, Scout observes, “As Tom Robinson gave his testimony, it came to me that Mayella Ewell must have been the loneliest person in the world. She was even lonelier than Boo Radley, who had not been out of the house in twenty-five years. When Atticus asked had she any friends, she seemed not to know what he meant, then she thought he was making fun of her.” (Lee 256). Mayella doesn’t have anyone to rely on. She has no friends or family who actually helps her with everyday things. Mayella spends most of her time by herself. Living a lonely life can be suffering. Hooria Jazaieri, a researcher with a Ph.D from Northwestern University, emphasizes, “Compassion can be thought of as a mental state or an orientation towards suffering (your own or others’).” Some people viewing the court case have compassion for Mayella. Scout realizes Mayella’s real situation of suffering when she is sobbing at the stand: she wasn’t capable of completely tough house chores by herself. Mayella suffers because of all her time spent

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Due to her living conditions, she is uneducated on the matter. In addition, in the Ewell’s household, Mayella has no supportive influence to help her with her situation. The jury learns that in their household, “Everyone was for himself,” (Lee, p.245). This proves that they were independent and had no one to help make their decisions. As well, their mother is dead and their father is not concerned.

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On page 256 Scout feels that Mayella is lonely because she is a mixed child,Mayella comes from whites and black people side. Mayella lives in a poor town where blacks live and some white people so whites won’t talk to her. Black people wont talkj to her beacuse she has white blood in her so they put her aside. During the court Atticus asked her if she has any friuends she did not know what friends ment she thought that Atticus was making

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After thinking about how isolated Mayella must be despite having a sizeable family, Scout compares the alcoholic’s daughter to the utmost introverted neighbour, Boo Radley. After an unsafe circumstance, Scout leads Boo to his house after he saving her and her brother; she stands on his porch and recounts the past 3 years from his perspective, “It was summertime, and two children scampered down the sidewalk toward a man approaching in the distance.” (374). She finally completely understands him by being where he has, watching and enjoying the children’s theatricals. Standing where Boo watches his neighbours carry on with their lives was enough for Scout to understand what he was thinking and feeling.

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In the novel, Cisneros depicts the idea of one’s judgement based on perception through the characters’ influence on the main character Esperanza. Throughout the book, Cisneros illustrates Esperanza’s meeting many people who teach her new ways of thinking and influence her behaviors. In the vignette “A Rice Sandwich” Cisneros states, “The special kids, the ones who wear keys around their necks, get to eat in the canteen. The canteen! Even the name sounds important,” (43).

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531 Words | 3 Pages

A) During the questioning of Mayella, Mayella assumed that Atticus was mocking her by calling her “ma’am” and “miss”. (Doc. C) The reason why she thought this was because she is not socially experienced since her own race doesn’t want to associate with her since she “lived among pigs”

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804 Words | 4 Pages

Although Mayella has clearly lied in court, she was only doing the wrong thing because she had to. Mayella still deserves compassion because of how she has been treated her entire life. Irina Yugay, an author who has written many articles about self-development for Mindvalley, developed the idea that “True compassion goes beyond the understanding of another person’s suffering… compassion literally means to “suffer together” or “co-suffering.”

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1565 Words | 7 Pages

As Scout watches Mayella Ewell's testimony, she concludes that “...Mayella Ewell must have been the loneliest person in the world. She was even lonelier than Boo Radley, who had not been out of the house in twenty-five years. When Atticus asked had she any friends, she seemed not to know what he meant, then she thought he was making fun of her…Tom Robinson was probably the only person who was ever decent to her. But she said he took advantage of her, and when she stood up she looked at him as if he were dirt beneath her feet” (191-192). Scout observes how defensive Mayella is and pities her because of the loneliness she must feel, but she also understands the wrong that the Ewell girl had done.

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“Atticus was quietly building up before the jury a picture of the Ewells’ home life… and there was a strong suspicion that Papa drank it up anyway.” (Narrator 244). Atticus portrays Mayella’s life at home, he tries to get the jury to feel sorry for her which helped him to be successful in the trial. Since Atticus was acting so nice and acting like he relates to Mayella, she eventually let her guard down and got cornered by Atticus. Atticus “trapped” Mayella, and the only reason he was successful in doing so was because of his solicitude.

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990 Words | 4 Pages

Empathy went to those in harmful environments who did not fulfill the treatment they got, this is why other people could feel compassionate for Mayella because she did not ask or deserve how her dad and the village treated her. Mayella is distinguished from benevolence since compassionate individuals feel bad for those who are suffering,“ Compassion can be thought of as a mental state or an orientation towards suffering (your own or others’) (Jazaieri). Mayella’s inability to elope with her dad due to the time period and the fact that she's a gentlewoman makes compassionate individuals feel more empathetic for her. Women did not work backside then, so they had nowhere to rotate.

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This just shows that Mayella caused all of this and she is the reason tom is dead. For instance, The death of Tom Robinson clearly made Atticus sad because Jem did not want Scout to mention anything about it or her knowing about the events, Jem did not want Scout to mention anything about it or Atticus would have been mad or sad about it “Jem also told me that if I breathed a word to Atticus, if in any way I let Atticus know that I knew, Jem would personally never speak to me again.” (Lee 276).Jem had felt sorry for Atticus so he did not want scout to say anything and if she did, she would have got in trouble with

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709 Words | 3 Pages

Mayella was was just a poor girl who had never been to school a day in her life and suffered so much abuse from her father, she didn’t give herself the opportunity to be powerful. In a time of oppression and depression Mayella standing up would have been a monumental change but she never seized it and took advantage, she let everyone else take advantage of

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309 Words | 2 Pages

Even though all the evidence points to this being a false claim and has caused rivalry in the small town of Maycomb, Mayella is worthy of compassion. Mayella struggles with crippling loneliness, pushing her to the point of no return. “True compassion goes beyond the understanding of another person’s suffering” (Yugay). The judge and townsfolk could never have known what was happening in Mayella’s home without hearing the cross-examination

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503 Words | 3 Pages

Mayella’s life is not filled with joy; she takes care of her family’s home, is never helped out by her siblings, and is abused by her father. Mayella has a lot to deal with thanks to her father and siblings, “others are choosing to acknowledge suffering (their own and others’) and wish to see the relief of suffering. This notion can get lost at times when doing these practices in solitude” (Jazaieri). Mayella does not have the atmosphere or ability to acknowledge her suffering; neither alone or with others. She does not have the ability to process or talk through her feelings, Mayella can not recognize that she is suffering as much as she is.

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555 Words | 3 Pages

Mayella does not deserve compassion as her accusations destroyed a family. Mayella Ewell uses her status as a white woman to enforce an accusation of rape that does not warrant compassion. When Scout and Jem, two children of the defense attorney, go to a black church with their caretaker, the reverend is collecting donations when he announces, “You all know of Brother Tom Robinson’s trouble. He has

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594 Words | 3 Pages

Mayella never learned to sympathize for her and her own home life, which is sorrowful because “I [the author] find it also helps renew one’s optimism as it reminds us we are not alone in these practices [compassion practices]. Many others are choosing to acknowledge suffering (their own and others’) and wish to see the relief of suffering” (Jazaieri). Mayella has had little experience with compassion and love in her life, and her not having those experiences makes her not

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