How Does Pryal Show Empathy In To Kill A Mockingbird

Empathy is a very important trait to have, as it can help us understand the situations that other people are going through. This is shown in the character of Scout in Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird. When Atticus finds out about how his kids treat and speak about Boo Radley, immediately he tries to put a stop to it. ¨I´m going to tell you something, and tell you one time only: stop tormenting that man¨ (Lee 49). This affects Scout because from now on she goes about talking and treating Boo Radley in a better manner than before.

Empathy is a quality difficult to attain. Not many people can really look through the eyes of someone else most of us are sympathetic. Empathy is almost a rare feeling how often are you going to feel empathy for the syrian refugees or children in Africa? It’s hard to feel empathy for things that we haven't experienced. But in every bundle of people their is an Atticus Finch.

Empathy is the feeling someone sorrow or able to imagine being them. People shouldn’t judge someone without walking in their shoes. People shouldn’t judge people because you never know what there going threw at that moment and time. Empathy is developed by understanding someone struggle just how in the book “To Kill A Mockingbird” I can feel empathy for mayella Ewell and Boo Radley because we went through similar experiences. Mayella Ewell never knew what love was or what it was to have friends.

Throughout the novel, people start acting different towards Atticus because of the Tom Robinson trial. A few days before the trial a good friend of Atticus tries to kill him with a group of white men to hurt Tom Robinson, but in between the situation Scout gets involved by talking to Mr. Cunningham casually and the men leave. It was one night when Atticus was acting up, of course because of the Tom Robinson case which is the night before but Jem, Scout and Dill knew something else was going on. A crowd of men and the sheriff, Heck Tate, go to Atticus’s house the day before the Tom Robinson trial.

Thus, assuring the jury that, unlike the common assumption, Tom is not like “all” Negro men. Following his earlier claim, Atticus reiterates the, “truth”, being, “ Some Negroes lie… are immoral… [and] are not to be trusted around women” (232). Atticus adjusts the statement in order to reveal the real legitimacy surrounding the actions of Negro men. His frequent use of parallelism adds depth and power to his statements,furthermore generating a stronger impact on the viewpoint of the jury.

During the jury voting, Jem could not believe his eyes, “ Judge Taylor was polling the jury: 'Guilty...guilty...guilty...guilty...' 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” (278). Watching Atticus try cases for years, he knows in court that justice prevails. He thought for sure that Tom was free, the evidence was crystal clear. He could not see what reasosn the jury had for a guilty verdict, but when the verdict came out as guilty, he was mad because he knew it was a racist verdict from the jury.

Lula promotes racial discrimination Whereas, Calpurnia encourages identical rights for both white and black residents of Maycomb. Moreover, Calpurnia believes in mixing of the two cultures. When Calpurnia escorts Scout and Jem to the church Lula states, "You ain't got no business bringing white chillun here”. Lula stands up for the black and shows rage towards the Jim Crow laws. Jim Crows laws state no blacks at the white church.

He’ll arise in front of everyone and confront them even if he knows that the chance of winning is minor. The accusation of Tom Robinson’s rape was incorrect, however, it was a black’s voice against a white’s. Atticus went several times for Tom’s rescue despite the consequences, Atticus states “I don’t know, but they did it. They’ve done it before and they did it tonight and they’ll do it again and when they do it—seems that only children weep.” Atticus will try everything he can to protect the unfortunate man, Tom Robinson, but the whites are believed to have more privileges in the community.

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. To me the word empathy in “To Kill A Mockingbird” means “putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.” Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” suggests that empathy is a universal feeling, but everyone experiences it in different occasions and in different ways. Many people empathize through real life experiences. Scout is one of those people.

When one grows up, it is inevitable they will lose their innocence. Seeing the world through rose colored glasses can only take one so far, and eventually they will have to open their eyes to real issues in their lives. While this happens at different ages for everyone, Atticus in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee believes that his kids should not be sheltered from the real world. As Scout and Jem, Atticus’ children, grow up, especially in a time where Maycomb is so segregated, Atticus teaches his kids real life lessons and to not become like the rest of their town; racist and judgemental. This comes with a cost, however, as the kids “grow up” at an expedited rate.

"You never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them”(Page 798). This is a very important lesson to know in life because it explains why a man does the things he does. If this lesson of empathy is applied to life, the true characteristics of man will be revealed. To Kill a Mockingbird is the perfect example of empathy. The novel plainly states empathy all thought out the book and the examples can easily be applied to our lives.

You never know what someones going through until you step into their shoes and walk around in them. Empathy by definition is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. It is often developed through exposure to other peoples' worlds. Among the many other lessons in To Kill A Mockingbird empathy is one of the most prominent in the book. After reading one can truly come to the conclusion that loss of innocence can lead one to develop empathy, when they see the mistreatment of others.

At this point, Jem’s mind remains set that Tom Robinson will not be convicted. However, the judge’s perspective towards colored people lies inevident enough to ensure that Tom will not be pleaded guilty. When Reverend Sykes, the reverend of the First Purchase African American Church, informed Jem of the misfortune all black men encounter in trial, Jem “took an exception to Reverend Sykes” (279). After Tom Robinson’s trial, Jem became furious and confused at the prejudice against Tom. Jem believed that Tom would be proven innocent, because of Atticus’ in-depth argument against Mayella Ewell, the daughter of a white family of the lowest ranks, but Jem eventually faces the undenying truth.

When it comes to the complex issues of prejudice and death, the attribution of blame can become exponentially more difficult. Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird is set in Maycomb, a fictional town in southern USA during the Great Depression and follows the trial, conviction and eventual death of Tom Robinson, an African-American man, for a crime he presumably did not commit. The text largely presents Mayella Ewell as responsible for Tom’s death and although this is true to some extent, there are clearly several other factors at play. The lies and deception of Mayella Ewell clearly help the events to conspire that culminate in Tom’s passing. That being said, the true cause of these events is rooted in the prejudices and warped social structures

Scout and Jem receive harsh treatment by an African-American woman named Lula when they come to Sunday mass with Calpurnia. The children expect the rest of the community to treat them the same way, but they are shocked when the community accepts them with open arms (Lee 119). Calpurnia brings Scout and Jem to her African-American church, The First Purchase, for Sunday mass while Atticus is working hard on the Tom Robinson case. Before the mass begins a woman named Lula comes up to Scout and Jem and starts making horrible remarks at them. She starts to yell at Calpurnia, not fully understanding why she would bring white children to a black church.