In essence, empathy is defined as “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.” During the course of the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the recurring lesson of empathy is learned through the experiences of characters, good and bad alike. Most specifically, Jean Louise (“Scout”) Finch embarks on a journey throughout the story in which she gains the ability to do just this. Living in the 1930’s town of Maycomb, she witnesses the harsh racism towards those of color, and experiences other strict societal norms that the time period entails, such as gender roles, which she doesn’t seem to abide by. As a risk-taking child, growing up under the influence of her older brother Jem, the two children attempt a fairly …show more content…
After Mr. Ewell, a man Atticus was against in the Tom Robinson case, attacks Scout and Jem while they’re walking home, a figure appears to save them from death. While in the hospital with Jem, Scout sees the person who saved them, and simply sees him as another townsperson; however, after careful observation, Scout realizes this person is Boo Radley. Boo Radley, at first being seen by Maycomb’s youth as a monster, is a illy-viewed figure, but after witnessing Boo Radley’s sheer kindness, Scout begins to feel empathy towards him. On page 320, Scout narrates, “Neighbors bring food with death and flowers with sickness and little things in between. Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives. But neighbors give in return; we never put back into the tree what we took out of it: We had given him nothing, and it made me sad....” Scout realizes that Boo Radley’s gifts that he offered made him not a monster, but a neighborhood friend. Being trapped inside his house, with little to no outside contact, the gifts Boo gave to the children are obviously most of what he had. Scout feels tremendous guilt after realizing that Boo only gave, and Scout only took what he gave. Instead of seeing this figure as a monster, Scout sees him as a selfless human being, and shows great empathy for him being …show more content…
Atticus has a gift for seeing other people’s point of view, and chooses to pass this wisdom onto his daughter, which she then is able to utilize herself. For Scout, Mayella Ewell was initially seen as a cruel person for trying a case against her father, and was not well-liked among Scout’s family, but after seeing the harsh environment in which she resides in, Scout began to feel pity. Additionally, after seeing her brother demolish Mrs. Dubose’s garden, Scout was able to show a deep sense of empathy for her, even though she thought Mrs. Dubose was a cruel and mean person at first. Scout’s interaction with Boo Radley near the end of the story also highlighted her gained lesson of empathy, as she was finally able to see from his point of view. Moreover, Walter Cunningham showed how Scout learning how to be empathetic has greatly impacted her views of others, as she can step into their shoes to gain a better understanding of how they live. All in all, Atticus has taught Scout to step into the shoes of others to gain a sense of empathy for