” The reader sees that Jem in particular empathises with her at the very end of the chapter when Scout says, “He picked up the camellia, and when I went off to bed I saw him fingering the wide petals. They both begin to understand why she was the way she was and see that she was actually a “great lady”, “had her own views about things” and died “beholden to nothing and nobody. Atticus wants them to empathise with her so they can see how much courage she had and learn “what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. However, it’s not until after she dies that both Scout and Jem fully understand how Mrs Dubose must have been feeling: Mrs Dubose was a morphine addict who was determined to kick the habit before she died and so enlisted Jem and Scout to help keep her off of the morphine for longer and longer periods of time (without them knowing). This shows Scout empathising with Mrs Dubose as she sees that she is ill, and can see how much pain she must be in. She was lying under a pile of quilts and looked almost friendly. Scout also sympathises and shows empathy for Mrs Dubose, despite her feelings toward her. There’s shadows and things on the ceiling… ” She goes with him even though she doesn’t like Mrs Dubose because she knows that Jem wouldn’t want to be alone reading to her and so Scout thinks it would be better if she goes along. Scout decides to go with Jem a she knew he didn’t want to do it as Jem says, “Atticus, it’s all right on the sidewalk but inside it’s – it’s all dark and creepy. For Scout, Mrs Dubose is a distressing object who then becomes the power over her afternoons forcing her and Jem to read to her. Scout shows empathy for Jem by voluntarily accompanying him to read to Mrs Dubose when he is made to do so after destroying her flowers because she said horrible things about Atticus. By empathising with Walter, he sees how hungry he must be and so invites him to eat with them. He also knows that his family couldn’t afford to eat as well as the Finches. By also having a sense of initiative and good morals, Jem knows to invite Walter back to the house with them for dinner to apologise and show courtesy towards him.Īlso, Jem knows that Walter will have no dinner that day and that the Cunninghams would not accept anything they couldn’t pay back. Scout says, “I stomped at him to chase him away, but Jem put out his hand and stopped me”. He also defends Walter when Scout wants to fight him. This shows Jem’s maturity and ability to empathise with those around him as he knows that what Scout did to Walter was wrong and he was able to see this by looking at it from Walter’s perspective. The reader knows this when Jem confronts Scout after she beats up Walter Cunningham at school and he says, “Come on home to dinner with us Walter. Early on in the book, Jem can already step into someone else’s shoes and empathise with them to see their perspective. ” This shows her understanding of Walter’s perspective at that time and also how she tries to spare him by explaining to the teacher. Scout goes on to say, “You’re shamin’ him, Miss Caroline. ” She did this to spare his embarrassment. They don’t have much but they get along on it. They never took anything off of anybody, they get along on what they have. Scout empathises with how Walter is feeling at the time and so on his behalf explains why he has no lunch and why he will not accept her offer “The Cunninghams never took anything they can’t pay back – no church baskets and no scrip stamps. When her teacher, Miss Caroline offers Walter a quarter because he has no lunch (Walter’s family can not afford it and so he says he’s forgotten it) and refuses it, Miss Caroline can not see why and so continues to offer it with growing impatience. Scout empathises with Walter Cunningham during school at the beginning of the book. As Jem and Scout grow older in the novel, they begin to understand this lesson and act upon it both knowingly and sub-consciously. Atticus, the children’s father, educates the children on how to treat and comprehend other people. In the novel ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee, learning to “walk about in someone’s skin” is a main theme, particularly as two of the main protagonists Jem and Scout learn to do this as they grow up throughout the book along with the reader.
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