Scouts Lessons in Compassion
Compassion is a distinguishing quality. Associated with maturity and kindness, compassion is an emotional understanding or empathy for others that governs kind actions and citizenship. Throughout literacy, compassion resonates as a valuable lesson and skill for characters to learn because of its importance in a kind, functional society. Harper Lee uses compassion as a topic in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The childhood experience recounted in the novel help the protagonist, Jean Louise Finch, to grow compassionate through the teaching of important life lessons about injustice, empathy, and prejudice.
Jean Louis Finch, also called Scout, learns about injustice from the Tom Robinson trial. Atticus says to the
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Empathy is he ability to understand and the feelings of another. Scout first begins to have an inkling of understanding for Boo when Jem says to her, “ Scout, I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley stayed shut up in the house all this time… it's because he wants to stay inside.” It isn't until much later in the book that Scout fully comprehends empathy for herself when she stands on Boo Radleys porch and pretends that she is him watching g from the window, “Fall and children trotted to and fro around the corner… winter, and children shivered at the front gate… summer and he watched his children's heart break.” Scout says in her narration, “Atticus was right. One time he said you never know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley’s porch was enough.” Scout fully comprehends Boo Radleys seclusion and sees things how he may see them. She makes an effort to view life and attempt to understand the thoughts and feelings of Boo Radley. With a better understanding of empathy, Scout is able to to be more compassionate. She can better understand people's thinking and can then feel remorseful for them. Scout is more able to help and be kind and compassionate because she is conscious of an emotional connection to them. Scouts experiences with Boo Radley taught her emotional empathy and the ability of compassion. Jean Louis Finches understanding of of compassion is even further …show more content…
Prejudice is judging someone or something based on a preconceived notion formed through experience. In the beginning of the book, Scout says to Calpurnia, “He ain't company Cal, he's just a Cunningham.” Scout judges Walter because he does not have as much money as the Finches and because his personal hygiene habits are different than hers, as well as his table manners. Later in the book however, Scout says, “soon’s school starts I'm gonna ask Walter home to dinner… he can stay over sometimes after school too. Atticus could drive him back to Old Sarum. Maybe he could spend the night with us some time…” When aunt Alexandra objects, Scout says, “Why not Aunty? They're good folks.” and “I want to play with Walter.” At first Scout judged Walter because of who his family was, but in the end Scout stands up for Walter as a friend. Scout learned not to judge people by their families and manners. When Scout learns about prejudice she also learns about compassion. To not judge people and have an emotional understanding for them personally is being compassionate. Without realizing it Scout showed compassion for Walter at the end. Scouts experience with Walter Cunningham Jr. taught her about prejudice which helped teach her
In this lesson Atticus teaches Scout that you must understand where someone comes from in order to show true sympathy and compassion. Now before Scout judges someone she steps into their shoes. Allowing her to show compassion towards that person and many more. She has learned that the most compassion you can give someone is sympathy and understanding. Jem also learned these lessons but through experiences and challenges he had to face and go through.
The definition of compassion is sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. Another definition of compassion is from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, “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 33). This quote is from Atticus Finch, who is a moral character in the novel. Source A describes two people with lots of compassion. One of the people was very generous and had the opportunity to steal a man’s wallet, yet he chose to help the man by replacing the ruined bills and cleaning up his cards.
When you stand in another's shoes it help you understand the world in a different way and allows you to help others. It also allow to feel compassion and empathy for them. The book “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee has many cases where characters are forced to stand in others shoes and feel compassion for them. To stand in another shoes will help you understand them better.Atticus teaches Scout empathy through fatherly courtroom tactics. "First of all," he said, "if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. 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." The meaning of the above quote is the importance
Scout learns that empathy is major principal of someone's everyday life. Throughout the story, Scout goes along with the name calling and judging others despite her father's advice on empathy. Scout began to learn about empathy during her first grade year when she got high expectations for her teacher, Mrs. Caroline. Scout thought she was doing the right thing by
Scout empathizes with Walter Cunningham during school at the beginning of the novel. Her teacher Miss Caroline offers Walter a quarter because he has no lunch. Walter’s family can’t afford lunch so he says he has forgotten his lunch money. He declines her offer, Miss Caroline can’t see why so she continues
In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Scout proves empathy is an important characteristic. In the book, Scout demonstrates the consideration and understanding for others when she helps Boo Radley. Later, Scout learns empathy from her father Atticus, who in an unjust, racist environment takes on the strenuous task of defending Tom Robinson, a colored man accused of sexual assaulting a white woman. Ultimately,as scout matures and her empathy begins to develop, she becomes a courageous , mature person.
In to Kill a Mockingbird harper lee demonstrates to the reader the importance of empathy mainly through the action and advice of Atticus. An example of this would be when Atticus said "you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around it" to scout (33). This quote teaches students the basics of empathy and how to look at things at others point of view. In addition, the advice Atticus gives in this quote is direct, easy to understand and is crucial towards student understanding on how to develop a good relationship with someone. Empathy can
Jean Louise ‘Scout’ Finch is the main character in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and is the narrator of the story. She starts the novel at the age of six, and over the course of the novel, grows to be nine. Racism affects Scout throughout the story mainly because of her father, Atticus Finch, being involved with defending a black man in court that was accused of raping a white woman. Scout also resides in a small Alabama town called Maycomb. This also leads to much prejudice throughout the book.
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view— until you climb in his skin and walk around in it,” says Atticus Finch. This iconic quote from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird highlights the compassion for others that shows up several times in the story. Empathy is a prevalent theme in To Kill a Mockingbird and is displayed by several characters. Atticus Finch is one of the most compassionate characters. He sets an example for his kids, who also learn to empathize. Several other characters besides the Finch family show compassion for each other. The title of the novel itself symbolizes empathy for the innocent and accentuates the role of compassion in this novel.
How can a story brimming with racism and resentment also be filled with compassion? Although the world is filled with people who do appalling things, there are still some out there who practice generosity and lead by example. In To Kill a Mockingbird, these people are characters like Scout, Atticus, or Tom. Throughout the novel, these characters and more take action to show humanity in circumstances that they don’t have to, and add a layer of compassion to the theme. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the actions of Maycomb County citizens during the harsh times of the 1930’s show that any given person, regardless of race or societal status, should be worthy of compassion. These principles are demonstrated in the story by the Cunninghams, Boo Radley, and Tom Robinson.
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.
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from their point of view-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” (p.30) The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee includes a plethora of essential themes that make one think deeply. The story takes place in the 1930’s when segregation tensions were high. The narrative is told through the eyes of a young girl, Jean Louise (Scout) Finch. Scout’s father, Atticus is a lawyer fighting a case for an African American man named Tom Robinson. Throughout the novel, both Scout and her older brother Jeremy (Jem) Finch learn many life lessons that are crucial for all children to learn about. One fundamental lesson learned by the children, is the lesson of having empathy.
Scout does not like all of the prejudices in the town, and world, all shows a lot of empathy for how young she is in this quote, “I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks,” (304) Atticus, Scout, and minor characters show the importance of empathy. Atticus always thinks about how people feel, scout shows empathy throughout the novel, especially at the end, and some minor characters show some empathy. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee demonstrates the importance of empathy.
To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel which deals with many themes; the most dominant of these is empathy, as it is crucial in the relationships between characters as well as in their learning experiences. The way Scout finally learns how to use empathy to see things from Boo Radley’s point of view was very moving to the reader, and the reader can
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows how Scouts empathy changes throughout the book. In the beginning of the book Scout had no empathy toward Boo Radley. At first, Scout does not understand empathy and what you're suppose to do when dealing with people. She does not understand Boo Radley from his side of the situations. For example, Scout says “We thought it was better to go under the high wire fence at the rear of the Radley lot, we stood less of a chance of being seen”(Lee 69). Like stated, Scout is not seeing why Boo Radley is the way he is she is just curious about what he is doing and why he stays inside. She does not understand why he stays inside