Compassion and Understanding

In contrast to the evil and injustice depicted in the novel Harper Lee expounds the importance of compassion by providing many examples of compassion and understanding in the novel.

The most important lesson Scout and Jem learn comes from Atticus, the lesson of compassion:

"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." (Chapter 3, p. 35)

In the course of the novel Scout "climbs into the skin" of Miss Fisher, Walter Cunningham, Jem, Mrs Dubose and Boo Radley. She also learns to respect the differences between people, as Calpurnia and Mr Dolphus Raymond have learned to do.

     
 
Activities Tasks
1
 List all the examples of compassion shown in the book and discuss their effect.
2
 Who shows compassion in the book and who receives compassion? Why?
3
 In what ways does To Kill a Mockingbird speak to the current racial issues that confront America? In what ways does it address the larger themes of growing up, learning right from wrong, and becoming an understanding, compassionate person?
 
     
   
To Kill a Mockingbird: An English web site unit devised and developed by George Marotous and Merren Ward.
Web site constructed and maintained by George Marotous. © 2006, English Faculty, Melbourne High School.