When Scout is having trouble with her teacher at school, Atticus gives her some of his most valuable advice. He tells her that you have to look at things from another person’s perspective. He is teaching her empathy.
“First of all,” he said, “if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-”
“Sir?”
“-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” (Ch. 3)
Empathy is an important skill for life. It is more than just working with your teacher so that you do not get into trouble. It is about appreciating what others are going through. Scout has to learn empathy to understand Boo Radley, and Mayella Ewell, and even her brother, Jem.
Scout demonstrates her newfound empathy during the trial, when she hears about Mayella’s circumstances and begins to feel sorry for her.
As Tom Robinson gave his testimony, it came to me that Mayella Ewell must have been the loneliest person in the world. She was even lonelier than Boo Radley, who had not been out of the house in twenty-five years. (Ch. 19)
This shows that Scout is growing up. She can see Mayealla as a victim. She put herself in Mayella’s shoes and realized that being her would be difficult. She had no friends, she was isolated from most contact with people, and she had to take care of all of her siblings.
Scout also shows empathy with Boo Radley. When he protects her and her brother from Bob Ewell, she meets him in person for the first time. It is a remarkable experience for her. As she walks him home, she stands on his porch and looks at her childhood from his point of view. She has come full circle, seeing Boo Radley as a person.
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