"Were you ever a turtle, huh?” asked Charles Baker Harris, opposing Jem’s displeasing similie (Lee 14). While the novel’s themes of empathy were not confined to river animals, Dill’s compassion introduced the importance of individual angles to Scout Finch’s narrative. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird stands as a metaphor for the importance of childhood, innocence, and most importantly, empathy. The book’s protagonists, Scout and Jem, experienced prejudice firsthand in a conservative town of the 1930s, learning to consider new perspectives as they matured. As the Finch children developed throughout the novel, Harper Lee’s definition of empathy became apparent. The children, considering the viewpoints of others, gained an understanding and …show more content…
However, she demonstrated how exposure to conflicts could lead to the development of empathy, through what Atticus may have called “climbing into [someone’s] skin and walk[ing] around in it” (Lee 30). Scout began to explore empathy as she experienced adverse circumstances in Maycomb, and considered the motives of those she once considered villains. In the first part of the novel, Scout’s new teacher, Mrs. Caroline, “said [Atticus] taught [her] all wrong, so [they] can’t ever read any more, ever.” After Scout expressed disdain for Mrs. Caroline’s teaching methods, Atticus asked that she consider her northern background, claiming “you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view” (Lee 30). Talking with Atticus about Mrs. Caroline was Scout’s first experience with empathy, as she replaced her hostility toward her teacher with recognition for her honest intentions. Scout’s change in attitude displayed Harper Lee’s belief that empathy is about gaining understanding, and comes with maturity. After Tom Robinson’s trial, Scout’s character evolved past her original beliefs, which were based on prejudice and first impressions. Her newfound experience was apparent in her thoughts on the Cunninghams. When Aunt Alexandra prevented Scout from inviting Walter Cunningham, she assumed that “you can scrub Walter Cunningham until he shines” but “he—is—trash.” Scout challenged Alexandra’s scrutiny by “hold[ing] her off as long as [she] could” because “if they’re good folks, then why can’t I be nice…?” (Lee 228). Exposure to Mr. Cunningham’s true nature around the Tom Robinson trial convinced Scout to give his son another chance, even after she treated him poorly on the first day of school. Scout was eager to stand up to Aunt Alexandra for Walter, willing to look past his poverty. Her new perspective on the