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How Is Compassion Shown In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Compassion is a theme that is demonstrated in many different ways throughout the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Compassion is represented by people who are looked down upon within a community in both the book and today. Jem shows compassion in the novel when he recognizes the unfairness of Tom Robinson’s verdict just because the color of his skin. Atticus expresses compassion for Mrs. Dubose who has a hard time controlling her actions because of her disability. Also, Scout demonstrates compassion for Boo Radley who is an outcast of society because of rumors spread about him.
Atticus expresses compassion in To Kill a Mockingbird by acknowledging that Mrs. Dubose cannot control her actions even though she is very mean to his children. After Atticus finds out what Jem has done to her camellias, he shows compassion towards Mrs Dubose by talking to Jem about how what he did “to an old lady was inexcusable” (128). Mrs. Dubose struggled to control her morphine addiction before she passed away, causing her to act mean and aggressive towards Atticus and his children. Atticus wants his children to understand that some people cannot control their actions even though the reason is not apanent. He tries to teach them that treating people with compassion will result in the greater good. If the place where the bullying takes place does not have high …show more content…

The novel can relate to relevant examples in today 's society. Compassion for police brutality against blacks is displayed by a movement called black lives matter. Compassion is also shown towards the homeless population of the United States who are accused of false rumors, turning people away from their true character. Finally, people give the advice to treat bullies about compassion rather than to fight with them. Although there is some compassion in modern day society, more compassion needs to be shown to really have

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In Barbara Lazear Ascher’s essay titled “On Compassion” Ascher considers the concept of compassion by utilizing her own encounters with the homeless as a vehicle to make her argument. In her argument, she interprets compassion as an abstract concept, and portrays empathy as a building block to compassion; making the argument that to be a more tolerant society one must first learn empathy in order to demonstrate true compassion. When analyzing Ascher’s rhetoric, her style, diction and rhetorical devices reveal a skeptical tone and serve a greater purpose in appealing to the reader’s sense of ethos and pathos. Namely, Ascher’s use of first-person narrative and word choice like “we” appeals to the reader’s sense of ethos, which eventually builds

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Empathy is a quality difficult to attain. Not many people can really look through the eyes of someone else most of us are sympathetic. Empathy is almost a rare feeling how often are you going to feel empathy for the syrian refugees or children in Africa? It’s hard to feel empathy for things that we haven't experienced. But in every bundle of people their is an Atticus Finch.

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Kindness is a universal language that everyone understands and should be willing to speak. In “To Kill a Mockingbird” one theme that has been internalized is the theme of compassion. Harper Lee truly understood the power that kindheartedness can have on a person. She wanted her audience to understand that being a kind person beats being a bitter person any day. “One can trap more flies with sugar than vinegar,” this quote embodies Harper Lee’s purpose in writing TKAM.

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To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee portrays acts of kindness and generosity given to many characters throughout the book in selfless ways. For example, as Jem and Scout are walking down the sidewalk, they continuously find small gifts such as gum, soap, pennies, and a watch in the knothole of the Radley’s tree. Miss Maudie gives Jem and Scout cakes and advice. Calpernia provides a mother figure, discipline, and life lessons for the children. As the town of Maycomb is falling apart from segregation and racism, Atticus steps up to open the eyes of the city.

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In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the worth of compassion persists as a relevant theme. Throughout their childhood, Jem and Scout encounter many people who do nothing to earn any compassion. But as they mature and endure countless moral conflicts, compassion evolves from a form of pity into a determining and necessary moral factor. Even though people often act deceitful and immoral, everyone deserves compassion.

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After the sharp-tongued crone insults Jem’s father, Atticus, Jem flies into a rage, rampaging across Mrs. Dubose’s garden and refusing to stop until “he had cut the tops off every camellia bush Mrs. Dubose owned” (Lee 137). As a form of punishment, Atticus forces the siblings to read to the ornery woman. During each session, the woman flies into a fit, and the children are allowed to leave once an alarm clock sounds for her medicine. As days pass, they stay for longer periods of time, and the woman’s fits decrease. It is only after Mrs. Dubose’s death that the truth is revealed to the young children; Mrs. Dubose was a morphine addict, and they were merely distractions as she fought, eventually beating, her addition.

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It is very important that writers are able to send a message to their reader with their book. Authors best do this by bringing about empathy. In order to send this message, authors often develop strong characters that go through various problems and struggles. The book, To Kill a Mockingbird, shows this very well with its characters Scout Finch and Tom Robinson. This book helps the readers learn from the character’s reactions to their problems.

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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.

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What would the world look like without empathy? Empathy plays a big part in everything around us, and in everyday life you can see it. In literature, empathy can be developed in a character through the circumstances of the plot and guide a character’s development. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, this is seen with the character of Scout. There are some interactions in the book that support this.

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In Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”, empathy is at the heart of the story. It is represented in different events and characters. This literary piece is an effective example of demonstrating understanding towards others. Empathy can be seen in many different characters throughout the novel such as Scout, Atticus, and Tom Robinson. They gain wisdom and show sympathy to the people that deserve it.

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Compassion and forgiveness is not something everyone gives but is something you should give to everyone. Even when they don’t deserve it. Compassion and forgiveness is a theme in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee when Atticus tells Scout not to be angry at the people who are against him, when he defends Bob Ewell’s behavior after the Tom Robinson case, and when Scout saw the world in Boo Radley’s shoes. And in real life, when a woman pardoned a man on the gallows, before he was hung, even though he murdered her son, and a woman forgave two boys that pushed a cart over a railing onto her, causing many injuries When word goes around about Atticus’s decision to try to defend Tom Robinson, Scout becomes irked by everyone who mocks Atticus for defending Tom Robinson. Atticus tells her, “It’s different this time [...]

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To Kill a Mockingbird has many of underlying themes such as racism, courage, respect, femininity, etc. But the theme that fits this book most appropriately is innocence and the harm caused to the innocent by evil and bigotry. Examples of this include Jem, Dill, Tom Robinson, Boo Radley. While all these characters have completely different personalities and circumstances they all have one thing in common. All of them were innocent at one point and were harmed by the evil of

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1027 Words | 5 Pages

So don’t let Mrs. Dubose get you down. She has enough troubles of her own” (pg. 124). Consequently, this short sentiment displays Atticus’ unfailing desire to find everyone agreeable despite the circumstances and does well as an example for his growing children. Furthermore, he presents his unconditional love by following, possibly unconsciously, the commandments of the Bible where it lies said, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Not once in the pages of the To Kill a Mockingbird novel does Atticus result into severe and unfair disciple toward Jem and Scout, rather he determinedly instructs them in the ways of tenderness.

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In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the character Atticus possesses the most compassion out of the other characters. Atticus is a man of profession, however, his compassionate heart can not be overlooked. Atticus tells Jem to "Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." (Lee 81) to display his compassion for those who are innocent. Compassion is the concern for the suffering or misfortune of others.

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Miss Maudie and Scout sit on her porch because Jem is off doing something else so they talk about life and look at the sky. “Our tacit treaty with Miss Maudie was that we could play on her lawn, eat her scuppernongs if we didn’t jump on the arbor, and explore her vast back lot…” (42). Miss Maudie lets Scout spend time with her so that she does not get sad that Jem and Dill went to play without her. A neighbour, Mrs. Dubose insulted the Finch Family all the time and yet Atticus is still kind to her because “she is sick and old”. Atticus tells Jem “Son, I have no doubt that you’ve been annoyed by your contemporaries about me lawing for niggers, as you say, but to do something like this to a sick old lady is inexcusable” (103-104).

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