Empathy In Thank You, Ma Am

Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism was written by Temple Grandin and originally published in 1995 in New York by Doubleday. The edition that I purchased was published in 2010 by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. This book was written as an autobiography about Grandin’s life as an autistic child and adult. It also includes general information about autism, reference based medical information, effects and symptoms of autism, and possible treatment plans. In this expanded addition, Grandin included updates after every chapter that provides up-to-date information on research, medications, and Asperger’s syndrome.

• empathy is created as we grow fond of the protagonist who shares a story of hardship

The walls were covered with screams and anger expressed through her writing. She then eventually burned it. It helped her release the anger she had for her grandmother. Her grandmother eventually passed of breast cancer, but a few days before she did, the girl was there for her and told her she wasn’t alone. She was able to forgive after growing up being abused.

Empathy is the ability to understand and the feelings of someone else. This is a major theme all throughout Harper Lee's, To Kill a Mockingbird. The citizens of Maycomb County begin to see things through the eyes of others, but a series of events has to happen before change can me made. Lee uses characters such as Scout, Jem, and Atticus to express the importance and value of empathy.

Empathy is what us humans lack of. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Empathy is spread throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I strongly empathize with the characters Jean Louise Finch A.K.A Scout and Arthur Radley A.K.A Boo Radley, because Scout is criticized for the doing of her father while Boo is having rumors spread about him that aren't true. I can empathize with Scout because her dad and even her are getting made fun of.

“Empathy is about standing in someone else’s shoes, feeling with his or her heart, seeing with his or her eyes. Not only is empathy hard to outsource and automate, but it makes the world a better place.” Daniel H. Pink’s quote relates to Richard Connell’s fictional short story, “The Most Dangerous Game,” where the main character, Rainsford, learns to grow empathy to others situation and feelings. Connell uses this short story for readers to grasp a deeper concept besides just a fun read while connecting with Thomas C. Foster informative literature How to Read Literature Like a Professor; For Kids.

Why do I care so much about empathy? It was something that called to my heart. Every

Empathy is the ability to share emotions and feelings with others. This skill requires people to look at things from another person’s point of view. Harper Lee implies in To Kill A Mockingbird that having the ability to feel empathy for others not only benefits others, but also can lead to personal gains in the long run. Empathy is demonstrated through the relationship of the characters of Scout with Walter Cunningham, Atticus with Tom Robinson and the children, and finally, Jem Finch with Mrs. Dubose.

Empathy can be defined as making a connection to someone during a situation. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, empathy is a main part in some of the characters’ lives. Without empathy, the novel would lack many components that make the main characters, Jem and Scout, who they are.

The Case of Temple Grandin paints a picture of a young woman’s determination and hard work while struggling with autism during a time when the disorder was unknown. This case discusses Grandin’s challenges, early diagnosis, growth and development in school, and support from her mother. Temple Grandin could not speak like the other children at the age of two, so because doctors could not find any physical issues she had been subsequently labeled as brain-damaged. To communicate with others, she would throw tantrums and scream. She could speak by three and a half years old with the help of speech therapy. A few years later at the age of five, Grandin was diagnosed with autism so her mother worked with her 30

How could I ever judge someone by what they looked like rather than who they are? This is by far the biggest lesson I have learned

Babies are born with two important skills to prepare them for empathy – the ability to begin to imitate facial gestures and the automatic responses in which the cries of other infants causes another infant to cry (Szalavitz & Perry, 2010). From the first hour after birth, babies can imitate several

“The boy wanted to say something other than “‘Thank You, M'am”’ to Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, but although his lips moved, he couldn’t even say that as he turned at the foot of the barren stoop and looked at the large woman in the door”(130). Langston Hughes wrote an enduring short story called “Thank You Ma’m” that starts off with an old lady strolling an urban city at about eleven o'clock at night. Mrs. Luella Bates Washington-- otherwise known as “a large old lady” (10) teaches a lesson to Roger-- a thief searching for money to buy blue suede shoes. A central idea of “Thank You, Ma’m” is that believing in someone, despite extraordinary circumstances can change someone for the better.

Another example of kindness is how the woman treats the boy as her son and wants to fix him up so

Another reason why I think this movie is such a great, inspirational movie is because of how a woman with autism can accomplish something so inspiring that shows people with autism shouldn’t be viewed as someone who can’t do much or someone who doesn’t have the skills and knowledge to do what normal people can. Temple Grandin has probably made a big difference in what people think of ones who have autism and I think that is great. Just because a person has autism doesn’t necessarily mean that people don’t have autism should view them as someone lower than themselves. People with autism are only stronger-willed and even though they may have difficulty with life, Temple Grandin shows that it doesn’t matter if you have autism or not because you can achieve your goals, you just need that determination in your life. From this movie, I have learned that no matter how small other people may think of you, you have the