Why Is Empathy Important In To Kill A Mockingbird

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his own skin and walk around in it.” Of all the emotions, Empathy is the one emotion which determines how we react to our circumstances. Empathy influences, and will change a person for the good. These changes and influences are shown in Atticus, his children, and their acquaintances throughout the story. Empathy is the reason Atticus is Atticus, and without it he would be a different person altogether. People such as Bob Ewell make brash decisions due to their lack of empathy. Empathy by definition is “the feeling you understand and share another person’s experiences and emotions: the ability to share someone else’s feelings”. People commonly see empathy as feeling bad for someone or a group of people. Anyone person can say “Oh I’m so sorry to hear that!” and move on with their daily activities. But empathy is an ability, and that is the ability to put yourself in to a situation and to be able to judge from that new position/pov. Characters such as Atticus, Miss Maudie, Scout, Jem, and Dill all have this innate ability. d
There is an example of empathy by Dill at the time of the trial when Tom Robinson is being questioned by
This is proven during the time Bob Ewell spits on him: “So if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that’s something I’ll gladly take. He had to take it out on somebody, and I’d rather it be me than that household of children out there.” Atticus is caring for a group of kids that most likely hate him, but Atticus knows these aren’t any normal group of kids. These kids have no real father figure to lead them, just a drunk wanderer who calls himself a father. So because Atticus can empathize with the kids, he will respond with silence in the face of a