Tessa Blacquier Ms. Darcy English 9 Honors 14 April 2023 Empathy: Learned and Taught The complicated dynamic of the Finch family relies on one singular moral quality, empathy. Atticus Finch has two children, Jem and Scout, with Jem being the eldest. Atticus is a unique character who stresses the use of empathy and compassion in his everyday life. As the family goes through the difficult trial of Tom Robinson, an innocent black man accused of rape, they all learn many important lessons regarding their status in regard to their town. The children must be aware of varying social place in their town of Maycomb, Alabama. Atticus devotes his efforts to teaching his children to always be empathetic regardless of their higher status in society being …show more content…
Jem is aware of social statuses in Maycomb, and uses his knowledge to treat everyone using his understanding. When Scout gets into a fight with Walter Cunningham, Jem takes authority and uses kindness to say, “Come on home to dinner with us, Walter,’ he said. ‘We’ll be glad to have you,”(30). Jem is aware of the Cunningham’s place in society, and recognizes what Scout had done and said to him is wrong. Jem takes a moment to put himself in Walter’s shoes and imagine how he must be feeling. He invited Walter to their home for a meal, as an act of kindness towards Walter and his situation. Scout does not yet understand this act, which further shows Jem’s earlier grasp on the idea of empathy. Before the trial of Tom Robinson, the children are all warned of the hate and difficulty they will soon be going through. Atticus wants his kids to be informed on the situation rather than being naive and ignorant. During the trial, Jem truly understands the actions and consequences that are presented to the defendant. While Scout is less knowledgeable of the trial, she sees Jem and how “... his hands were white from gripping the balcony rail, and his shoulders jerked as if each ‘guilty’ was a separate stab between them,”(282). Jem is watching his father go against the beliefs of the majority of Maycomb, while trying to prove an innocent man free of his accused actions. Jem puts himself in Tom’s situation, fully able to comprehend the importance of the case. He takes the pain Tom Robinson must be experiencing into himself, knowing how this verdict is changing someone’s life forever. Jem’s mature knowledge and awareness makes him a compassionate person, which is what Atticus had always aspired for his son to be. With Jem’s stronger understanding of compassion, he must pass his wisdom along to