Empathy has been a vital part of human society since conception, the ability to sympathize with others is necessary to fix problems and progress as a civilization. In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird Atticus teaches his children, an essential lesson. Atticus states "You never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them"(Lee). Lee further vindicates this statement through imagery and motif, concluding that, to truly know someone one must observe issues in their shoes.
The motif of empathizing with another character's plights to better interpret their actions and the characters themselves is prevalent throughout Scout's narration. The most notable example being when Atticus explains Bob Ewell's rationale for his hostile …show more content…
Near the conclusion, Scout sits on the Radley porch and finally begins to see things through the eyes of Arthur rather than her own. Whilst retrospecting, Scout narrates the story through the view of Arthur, "It was fall, and his children fought on the sidewalk in front of Mrs. Dubose's...Summer, and he watched his children's heart break. Autumn again, and Boo's children needed him"(Lee). The actions of "Boo" were once alien and almost incomprehensible to Scout, but now after conceptualizing the story in the eyes of Arthur she now figures out his actions, motives, and Arthur himself.
One of the key morals to detract from this novel is that to truly know or understand someone, it is a requisite to see the world how they look at it. Scout doesn't comprehend the actions of Arthur until she is put in his shoes. Jem is only able to decipher Bob's motivations after being told to "...stand in Bob Ewell's shoes a minute" (Lee) by Atticus. By the end of the story, Arthur is no longer seen as this malevolent phantom taking refuge in a decaying home, but rather is now viewed as a person just like everyone else. Our ability to empathize with others determines our ability to solve