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To kill a mockingbird in historical perspective and current context: a review essay
To kill a mockingbird in historical perspective and current context: a review essay
Social significance of to kill a mockingbird
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To Kill A Mockingbird was definitely worth the read. Yes I did admit that. Harper Lee does an amazing job expressing themes throughout the book. I chose empathy, and to me empathy is when we consider eachothers attitudes and situations from another viewpoint and identify another perspective to an issue. In the book, Scout learns empathy, Atticus teaches empathy and Tom needs empathy.
Another well known lesson taught by Atticus is about empathy. Empathy is defined as: the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. This is shown in chapter three when Scout encountered some problems with her new, first grade teacher, Mrs. Caroline. The little girl was mature well beyond her years, therefore, when she was asked to read out loud, Scout read with near perfect fluency. However, the teacher was surprisingly displeased with her advanced level in literature and flow, and assuming it was Atticus who was educating his daughter, Mrs. Caroline wanted the ‘lessons’ to come to a stop.
In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses indirect characterization to show how Scout learns the lesson of empathy. In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee the character Scout initially sees Boo Radly as a terrifying monster that causes trouble. But this was when Scout didn't understand the concept of empathy. This story takes place in a small old southern county called Maycomb. The main character whose nickname is Scout is explaining a rumor to a new friend Dill with her brother Jem about a monstrous being called Boo Radley.
Maturity is a lesson provided from experiences. As children age they’re faced with more challenges to overcome and can experience a new reality. In chapter 12 of To Kill a Mockingbird in which Calpurnia takes Jem and Scout (both white) to the “First Purchase African M.E. Church”, author Harper Lee uses dialogue and imagery to develop the theme of empathy to understand what it’s like to be judged based on the color of one's skin. For instance, by witnessing the dialogue between Calpurnia and Lula, Scout and Jem begin to realize the true feeling of unwelcomeness.
"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view--...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. "- Atticus Finch. This famous quote teaches Jean-Louise Finch (Scout) an important lesson about empathy from the beginning with Miss Caroline and reoccurs throughout the novel, anding aiding her coming-of-age in the end as she walks Arthur Radley home. Not only does Scout learn to “walk in another man's skin” but Atticus is forced to teach Scout’s older brother, Jem, the same lesson.
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. To me the word empathy in “To Kill A Mockingbird” means “putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.” Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” suggests that empathy is a universal feeling, but everyone experiences it in different occasions and in different ways. Many people empathize through real life experiences. Scout is one of those people.
When reading To Kill a Mockingbird a fiction novel by Harper Lee,there are atrocities that will cause the reader to empathy for the people,because the people are misunderstood and disliked , this going for almost every character in the book in their own ways To have empathy is to understand what somebody is going through, being able to understand because you probably have been through the same or similar things. I think that a man more so a child should never go throw some of the things that Tom Robinson and Walter Cunningham go through , there misunderstood by everyone,mistreated by the other folks, both live and are victims of poverty . Tom Robinson and I are both misunderstood , hurt and victims of poverty making him one of
Empathy. The ability to understand what someone else is going through by putting oneself in their place and situation. All throughout history, people have struggled with the concept of empathy. For example, Jews have been mistreated for hundreds of years on numerous occasions by those of an advantaged position, African Americans have been subjugated by the privileged White throughout much of American history, and this struggle is even seen today with the prejudice towards Muslims across the world. Harper Lee created a timeless piece of literature that has lived on for plenty of years because of its theme of empathy and the challenges that the characters face regarding it.
Imagine if you had a friend who came every summer to fill your head with fantastical stories, go on adventures with you, and maybe even get into a bit of trouble. For Jean Louise (Scout) Finch, Dill is the perfect friend for all those scenarios. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mocking Bird, Dill shows up for the first time in the summer before Scout goes to first grade. He immediately becomes best friends with Jem (Jeremy) and Scout Finch. Every summer after that, Dill goes on countless adventures and runs into far too many mishaps with his friends.
Having empathy for others is one of the most important things to do. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is written from the point of view of a young girl named Scout Finch. Scout‘s dad, Atticus Finch teaches Scout and her brother, Jem many lessons in this book, like coming of age, loss of innocence, and most importantly having empathy and compassion for others. Harper Lee uses Atticus in her novel To Kill A Mockingbird to demonstrate to his kids the importance of having empathy for people.
The Power of Understanding Empathy Alfred Adler once said “Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another and feeling with the heart of another.” this relates to the story ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by making the characters understand empathy with being in someone else shoes. The story "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee is a novel that explores the theme of empathy through the experiences of its main character, Scout Finch. Set in the 1930s in a small town in Alabama, the story follows Scout as she learns about the unjust treatment of African Americans in her community and witnesses her father's efforts to defend a wrongly accused black man in court. Through these experiences, Scout develops a sense of empathy
Harper Lee uses the positive motif of education to teach eight-year-old Jean Louise Finch (Scout) the diverse journey of intellect to guide her towards the main theme of empathy. Scout’s middle-class background contrasts the setting of a poor, small farming town, due to this she lacks the experience to fully comprehend the effects of poverty. In addition, the caste system led her to stereotype her classmates by their last names, unable to see past their hardships, lack of manners and schooling. Her father (Atticus Finch Maycomb) however is an empathetic man who attempts to educate his daughter on the importance of empathy: “‘if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand
Empathy is one of the most fundamental things that keeps society is a whole functioning today, but it is often overlooked when considering people's own interests. However, this scarcely talked about topic is something that is brought up repeatedly throughout the award winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee that is told through the perspective of its main character, Scout Finch. This story shows the importance of why Scout needs to learn empathy , how she learns it, and how Scout uses empathy. Scout was always quick to judge the people around her; this is especially evident during the beginning of the novel when she talks about the town reject, Boo Radley and a poor boy, Walter Cunningham.
Through To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee teaches us the righteousness of empathy. Harper Lee 's technique of writing and coinciding Christian beliefs weaved through emphasizes the importance of the story 's moral and themes. It is through Scout, the young dynamic and protagonist, that Lee opens the reader 's eyes to a realistic world of prejudice and inequality during the 1930s. Though introducing many characters throughout the novel, it is through Lee 's wise father character, Atticus Finch, that she further helps teach her readers life lessons, one being empathy. While narrating in first person, Lee further details her novel with the setting and use of style and diction.
Scout is initially naïve and does not think about how her actions affect others, showing that children can be offensive when their naïveté equates to a lack of empathy. For example, when Jem invites Walter Cunningham over for dinner, Scout is not accustomed to the way he eats. She says to Calpurnia, “But he’s gone and drowned his dinner in syrup, he’s poured it all over” (Lee 32). Scout’s youth prevents her from understanding the differences in other people’s life circumstances, including Walter’s. Her family is wealthier than the Cunninghams and she knows proper manners; Walter, on the other hand, likely does not.
