Examples Of Empathy In To Kill A Mockingbird

Scout, Jem and Dill wanted to attend Mr. Robinson’s trial, and they expected for the truth to come out, and they thought the real culprit of beating up Mayella would come out. Although, this experience shattered Scout’s idealistic worldview. Even though Atticus presented enough evidence that proves Tom’s innocence, the racist all-white jury still convicted Tom Robinson. Scout, and Jem, witnessed the injustice of the trial and experienced the harshness of reality. Furthermore, Scout’s aunt Alexandra’s words after the verdict deepened Scout’s disillusionment: “I told you that you should have come to me when Walter got into trouble,”.

Scout later shares that she and her brother Jem awaken to see stovewood, hickory nuts, smilax, and holly, all left by Mr. Cunningham as a token of his appreciation to Atticus. When Mr. Walter Cunningham’s son, Walter is invited over to the Finches for lunch, Atticus plays the role of an outstanding host. Knowing that Scout is one of young Walter’s bullies at school, he makes sure that Scout doesn’t pick on the poor boy and make him feel any sort of

Not long after the trial of Tom Robinson, Jem has become very easily angered by the even mention of the case. So, in chapter 24 when Scout is confused by her hypocritical teacher, she speaks to her brother about it only to end up on the front end of his rage. She was shocked by his sudden mood swing, but she understood that he was upset and connected it with her mention of the case of Ewell v. Robinson. Scout proceeds to ask her father about Jem, as she is clearly distressed about the state of her brother, and Atticus eases her fret and explains what exactly Jem is going through. While Scout doesn't quite yet grasp the idea of looking at things from another's point of view, she certainly is unknowingly feeling her brother's

After Tom Robinson’s trial Jem talks to scout about how "if there's just one kind of folks, why can't they get along with each other? If they're all alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other?"(Lee 162). Jem realizes that not everyone is treated the same whether it be because of their skin, like Tom, or the way they act, like Boo Radley. He's learning that people are treated differently even though all men are created equally. Jem is coming of age and realizing the world is not the same as he had once seen.

Jem was not happy about Tom losing his trial, he was the first one to cry about the loss and then sniffled, “It is not right Atticus.” Jem also grew in strength and bravery, this is shown when Bob Ewell attacks Jem and Scout, and Jem was willing to fight Bob in order to protect Scout from his knife. He is also not afraid to stand up for his family, and Tom when people are tearing them down. Jem develops from a stubborn, curious child to a mature, brave, and knowledgeable teen throughout the book, all because he made the right

After Jem breaks up the fight between Scout and Walter, Jem says to Walter “Come on home to dinner with us, Walter,” “We’d be glad to have you” (30). Jem invites Walter over for dinner because Scout just beat him up because she got in trouble for defending him. Walter is not sure about going at first but then Jem tells him that their fathers are friends. Another way Jem shows compassion is when his father is talked about. Jem got so worked up about how Mrs. Dubose called Atticus trash because he was defending Tom.

Jem on the other hand, does not need Atticus to explain empathy to him. He immediately empathizes with Tom after learning he was only ruled guilty because he was black. “Reverend, but don’t fret, we’ve won on it,’ he said wisely. ‘Don’t see how any jury could convict on what we heard–” (Lee 238).

Scout empathizes for Mayella and her situation, comparing to Dolphus Raymond who can live how he wants just because he owns land and such. “She couldn’t live like Mr. Dolphus Raymond, who preferred the company of Negroes, because she didn’t own a riverbank and she wasn’t from a fine old family. Nobody said, “That’s just their way,” about the Ewells. Maycomb gave them Christmas baskets, welfare money, and the back of its hand.” (Lee) Scout is thinking about Mayella Ewell, and how her status in the lower class is socially constricting.

In the early onset of the story, Jem has a child-like expectation for what people act like and should act like. Jem, just like Scout, experienced an immense loss as he failed to grapple with the inescapable truth of Tom Robinson’s fate (“his hands were white from gripping the balcony rail”) (Lee

Atticus has molded his children by exposing them to people in the town of Maycomb who have questionable morals in order to teach his children acceptance. Jem and Scout live in a primarily racist society and learn quickly that the children's

It is at this moment that Jem and Scout realize that as much as they want the world to be fair, it is never going to be in favor of them. The morals in Maycomb, no matter how unfair and biased they may be, will not change as the racism and prejudice present in the novel have been in Maycomb for as long as the people living there can remember. This incident is another example of a lesson learned for both Jem and Scout as they see that life is not always perfect, but they have to make out of it what they

Jem also opposes the town’s racism. He instead sees the incorrectness of the town in a logical standpoint. During the trial of Tom Robinson, Atticus brings up solid evidence that the attack was not from Tom, but her father Bob Ewell. Jem believes that there is no way that Tom would be declared guilty, he still believes that the town is not racist and thinks that the jury people will think logically about the case. “I peeked at Jem: his hands were white from gripping the balcony rail, and his shoulders jerked as if each “guilty” was a separate stab between them.”

Additionally, from other people’s perspective, Atticus has lost, his innocence because of him defending a Negro. However, it is not true because Atticus is a lawyer and he is doing his job without criticizing him. This incident made Scout ask Atticus that if it is right to defend a Negro. By this, Scout is able to gain the ability to look from new perspectives on how the world works in very early age compared to her brother, Jem and other children. Secondly, Jem is not completely disillusion until a guilty verdict is returned to Tom Robinson at the end of his trial.

Jem is in disbelief of how they could come to the verdict even after Atticus presented substantial evidence. He is very upset when he asks “How could they do it, how could they?” (Lee, 213) This quote shows that Jem feels sorry for Tom and is critical of the jury's discrimination. Jem exhibiting this behavior shows that he is now becoming aware of issues that someone his age might not think twice

When Atticus find out that Jem, Scout, and Dill followed him into town, he demands that they go home, but Jem refuses: “We were accustomed to prompt, if not always cheerful acquiescence to Atticus‘s instructions, but from the way he stood Jem was not thinking of budging,” (203). Jem is maturing, and he is starting to understand the situation that Atticus is in because of his defense of Tom Robinson. While he would normally obey Atticus, he realizes that protecting his father against the lynch mob is more important. Jem displays his courage even in his stance, emphasizing that he is doing what he thinks is right in spite of the challenges he faces. As Scout interacts with the mob, Atticus continues to demand that the children go home: “‘Atticus stood trying to make Jem mind him.