Examples Of Empathy In To Kill A Mockingbird

The dictionary describes empathy as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. But, you can’t look up how to feel empathy for someone. I believe that your experiences in life determine that. In To Kill a Mockingbird, (TKM), The kids, Scout and Jem each learn empathy through the events in the story. In the beginning, Atticus teaches them what the definition of empathy is, but they do not feel it until later in the book. This novel also shows us people that are, and are not empathetic to things. It is the main example the children have to learn themselves.

In the first few chapters, Scout, Dill and Jem are playing in front of the Radley house. This scenario is the first instance where empathy arises. They are making a plan

These people are good for children to look up to in learning a lesson. Scout and Jem each know some people to look up to when it comes to empathy. In chapter 8, Atticus tells the kids, “Someday, maybe, Scout can thank him for covering her up” (pg 72). This happened after Mrs. Maudie’s house burnt down. During the disaster, the kids watched from afar. It must have been very cold because Boo came out of his house, put a blanket on scout, and she never noticed. Boo’s compassion for the children shined through at this moment. He had never even met them, yet he felt empathy for them standing out in the cold weather. Boo Radley is a great example of a character expressing empathy. In the next few chapters, Atticus gets Jem and Scout bb guns for christmas. He says, “ shoot all of the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (pg 90) Saying this shows that Atticus has empathy for the birds. The children's first reactions are confused, but their neighbor later explains to them how mockingbirds do no harm, and why they shouldn't kill them. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy”(pg 90). When Miss Maudie said this, the kids felt empathy for the bird. This is the first instance where they have felt something for another being. A while later in the

Though sometimes those people do not know which actions to follow themselves. Some people in Maycomb are not as empathetic as Atticus or Boo. In chapter 9, Aunt Alexandra, Atticus’s sister, comes to stay with them for a bit. “Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject on my attire” (pg 81). When we go in Scout’s mind, she thinks a lot of things similar to this of aunt Alexandra. Later, we find out that these things are true. Scout always wears her overalls or jeans, and her aunt hates it. This is someone who is not empathetic to her. Even though she wants Scout to be more like a lady, she never asked Scout why she always wore those things. She certainly never felt what Scout is feeling at this moment. But other characters have learned this unlike Aunt Alexandra. In a few chapters, we see other people that have not learned empathy, and who may never. When the Jem and Scout visit Calpurnia’s church, Some people are not very happy about whites invading their church. “You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here-they got their church, we got our’n” (pg 119). Lula, someone from Cal’s church, questioned why white people were here. Most people know that whites were not very fond of black people. But Lula does not like white people according to this quote. She was not being empathetic to scout and Jem. She didn’t know that there father was away and didn’t think before she made up her mind that they were bad