Topic > To Kill a Mockingbird: A Story of Empathy - 738

Have Americans lost the ability to show empathy? While a novice reader may have difficulty understanding how a book written more than 50 years ago has any connection to our modern world, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird couldn't be more relevant. The citizens of fictional Maycomb County recognize their flawed legal system and unjust social castes as unfortunate truths of life, which all you can do is accept as fact. The only exception is the lawyer Atticus Finch, assigned to defend the accused in court. After seeing too many men receive condemnation simply because of the color of their skin, Atticus embarks on a mission to teach Jem and Scout, his children, that prejudice can be fought. By understanding and exposing ourselves to different people, we can free ourselves from prejudice. One of the first lessons taught in Mockingbird is the power of understanding the perspectives of others. Initially, Scout has difficulty empathizing with other people, especially her first-grade teacher, Miss Caroline, who Scout becomes frustrated with for not understanding Maycomb's complex social structure. After hearing his daughter complain, Atticus tells Scout that he "will get along very well with all kinds of people [if] he considers things from [their] point of view" (39). After being in another person's shoes, it is much more difficult to be prejudiced against them. In fact, this may be because a fundamental tenet of prejudice is to ignore the opinions of anyone being judged. However, this relatively simple concept is difficult for Scout to understand and she begins to hear rumors about Boo Radley, an enigma who hasn't been seen outside the house for over 30 years. So begins Jem and Scout's quest to bring out Boo Radley... midway through the card... that despite all the differences humans have, we're actually more alike than not. Scout is constantly educated by her aunt about the different people of Maycomb. He realizes that “there is only one kind of people. People” (304). The scout has finally become enlightened, a role model that everyone, even Atticus, can aspire to. Prejudice can blind the mind, forcing you to see the world only based on what you feel. By removing these blinds through understanding and exposure, Jem and Scout are able to see the world for themselves, as it truly is. In a country where 34% of Americans admit to being racist, something obviously went wrong. If we want to eliminate prejudice from our country, we must do something to resolve it. So here's my proposition to every American... Whenever you catch yourself judging another man, stop and think to yourself, "What would Atticus do?"?’