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.
He tells Scout, “Scout, Simply by work, every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime that affects him personally. This one is mine, I guess. You might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head up and keep your fist down no matter what anyone says to you.” Atticus knows this case might draw people to say ugly things about his family and possibly want to bring harm to them. By doing this, he is emphasizing Tom because he understands his situation and is choosing to defend him despite his race, nor yet jumping to a conclusion and declaring the man guilty because it is the right thing to
Empathy is, by definition, the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. In Harper Lee's novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" a small town is plagued with the misconception of the separation between Negroes and Caucasian people that results in the prosecution of two innocent men, Tom Robinson and Arthur Radley, who were treated inhumanly because of other people's beliefs on who were. Lee uses characterization and imagery to develop the idea that a person's perceived opinion of someone will change how they view that person, but one can't truly know who another is until they have experienced a little of that person's life. Growing up all one knows is what they have heard. It's how children learn to speak; they listen to people around
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
To Kill a Mockingbird shows how we should empathize before judging to understand others. This is shown through Atticus’ empathy, Scout’s growing empathy, and the symbol of the mockingbird. How the book emphasizes empathy for others displays why this is important. Harper Lee’s to Kill a Mockingbird shows how we should empathize to understand others before we judge them through Atticus’ empathy, Scout’s growing empathy, and the symbol of the mockingbird. Atticus’ empathy for others throughout the book is a good example for how and why to empathize with others.
In Harper Lee’s Bildungsroman (or coming-of-age) novel To Kill a Mockingbird (1960), precocious six-year-old Jean Louise “Scout” Finch struggles to understand the perspective of others. She lives in a small town called Maycomb, Alabama with her brother, Jem, maid, Calpurnia, and father, Atticus during the Great Depression. It takes time for her to recognize why other friends and family act differently than her. This causes some hardships and arguments between others. Before learning about others, she sometimes (accidentally) makes the people around her feel alienated.
Joshua Jacobs English 1 PAP- First Period 20 October 2017 Mr. Palkovics Scout’s Little Lesson Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Empathy has many benefits including stronger connections with other people, it is therapeutic and it builds trust in your relationships. Learning to be empathetic and considering of other people's opinions is one of the main themes in To Kill A Mockingbird. As the characters grow throughout the novel, they begin understanding what it truly means to be empathetic and begin implementing this trait into their lives. “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”
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.
Emily Schoen Gina Wright 5th hour 1 February 2023 See It The Way I do Intro: 1. “We judge what we do not understand” (unknown).
Harper Lee's novel To Kill A Mockingbird shows that whilst knowledge is important, empathy is an equally important character trait to have. The narrator Scout develops empathy throughout the novel, and Harper Lee champions this as her growing into an adult. The schoolteacher, Miss Caroline, is portrayed as a villain in the novel, because she has no empathy despite her knowledge. Finally, Atticus is seen as the hero and he carefully balances his broad knowledge with empathy and understanding. Harper Lee uses the character Miss Caroline, a schoolteacher, to highlight that knowledge without empathy, is not necessarily valuable.
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.
