How Does Lee Use Empathy In To Kill A Mockingbird

“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.” (Lee 39). Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird follows Scout Finch’s childhood as she grows up in a rural Alabama county during the 1930’s. She and her brother Jem have many adventures in their youth and are raised by their single father Atticus. As they grow up they start to learn the importance of empathy especially when dealing with the racial prejudice that many people around them have. They also witness a man on trial for his life for a crime he did not commit. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee uses characterization to display that one must use empathy to fully understand a situation.

Early in the book when Scout starts school she finds she does not like her teacher because her teacher does not believe Scout should be reading yet. Scout who has known how to read for a few years now finds this idea silly and decides to ask Atticus if she can stop going to school. Atticus tells her that if she can learn a little trick it will help her a lot in life he states “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.” (Lee 39). This helps scout realize that even though she does not like her teacher’s thinking she can see the logic behind it if she looks at it from her point of view. Next towards the end of the novel Bob Ewell spits in Atticus’ face and swears vengeance for the trial. This scares Scout and Jem. When they confront him about it Atticus merely says “Jem see if you can stand in Bob Ewell’s shoes for a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial. . . So if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that’s something I’ll gladly take.” (Lee 292). This again teaches the kids that you can understand someone's motives behind doing something by using empathy. To conclude Atticus Finch shows his children and the reader the importance of empathy to understand other’s