The best way to understand a person is “to stand in his or her shoes”. How does the author effectively illustrate this point in the novel? To Kill a Mockingbird is arguably the journey that Scout Finch makes growing up, which is essentially her journey of learning new values, morals and compassion through experience and practice. Standing in a person’s shoes is one of the first things Atticus explains to Scout in the novel, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb in his skin and walk around in it.” This is said in chapter three. Atticus is explaining how the things that went wrong on her first day of school (Miss Caroline finding Scout impertinent for correcting her, speaking bluntly about the pupils and being able to read, as well as the episode with Walter Cunningham) could have been avoided or at least made better. Despite the early introduction to this lesson, Scout doesn’t fully understand it, or at least learn it, until the very last chapter when she finally meets Boo Radley, and stands on his porch thinking about the compilation of events which make up the book, from Boo’s point of view, “Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough.” This shows the understanding Scout has finally had of the way people are perceived and the way they actually are. It shows that she has learnt what many
through Boo Radley. Her transformation can be seen when comparing her mindset at the beginning and end of the story. In chapter 3 Atticus tries to teach her about this topic in which he says: "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." (pg. 30). Atticus explains to Scout that she needs to try and see things from another's viewpoint even when they don’t see eye to eye. In Scout’s case, she learns to not judge people before she has a chance to see thing from their perspective. At the end of the book, Scout finally learns this lesson, as she says: "Atticus, he was real nice" which indicates her realization that some people are not what rumors say they are. Atticus the replies to her: "Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them." (pg.376).
During this time, Scout was able to see how unfairly some people were treated. She was able to see how a white persons word almost always was greater than a black persons word. I think being able to sit through the trial; Scout was able to see how racists some people were acting and how some adults were acting. Scout learns to deal with others and that some things aren’t always going to go the way she intends. Scout was always taught from her father, Atticus, that you should treat everyone with respect and you should tolerate everyone. Even though you may not like someone or they may not be your best friends you should still treat them just like anyone else and be fair towards
On her very first day of school, Scout had been condemned by her teacher for already knowing how to read. Miss Caroline, Scout's teacher, had told her: "Now tell your father not to teach you anymore" (17). Scout took Miss Caroline's words to heart and thought that if she continued to go to school, she would have to give up her nightly reading sessions with Atticus. Scout advised Atticus: "But if I keep on goin' to school, we can't ever read anymore..."(31). This shows Scout's naivety as she focused and was fixated on such a small detail that other people wouldn't give a second thought about. Scout was willing to obediently listen to anything Miss Caroline told her as if it was the law. Unexposed to the evils in the world, Scout was so innocent and naïve, and therefore, she did not realize or even think of going against what Miss Caroline had instructed. Being naïve on the fact that not everyone in the world is always truthful and follows all the rules, Scout was infatuated on a moot
As Scout begins to consider people?s opinions about prejudicial behavior she soon feels obligated to understand these racial judgments. Scout, being the curious and forthright girl she is, feels that only way to do so is by interrogating these estimations. ?As Atticus had once advised me to do, I tried to climb into Jem?s skin and walk around in it? (57). At this specific point in the novel, it is clear that Scout has learned a valuable lesson. The social lesson accomplished is never to judge anyone before determining their past experiences or hardships. Not only Scout?s social well-being, but her mental and emotional well-being progress extensively throughout the events of the novel. This is clearly defined by the following quote. ?Atticus had promised me he would wear me out if he ever heard of me fighting anymore, I was far too old and too big for such childish things, and the sooner I learned to hold it in, the better off everybody would be?(74). The quote stated by Scout proves that she is willing to mature at such a crucial time as the trial. She discovers that it is more important for Atticus to
Throughout this book, Atticus tells Scout and Jem that they should walk around in other people’s shoes for a bit, and maybe they can understand that person a little better. “‘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 […] until you climb into his skin and walk around in it’” (85-87). Atticus says this to Scout after Scout
In this quote, Scout is kind of oblivious to what is going on. She isn't realizing that she just had walked into a lynch mob that was trying to hurt Tom Robinson. Atticus had told her not to come out and stay at home. She let her curiosity get the best of her. Having been that little she is able to not get hurt by the mob, but if she is older they might have hurt her or Atticus in some way. This is one way that her ignorance protects her in the beginning of the book.
When you stand in another's shoes it help you understand the world in a different way and allows you to help others. It also allow to feel compassion and empathy for them. The book “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee has many cases where characters are forced to stand in others shoes and feel compassion for them. To stand in another shoes will help you understand them better.Atticus teaches Scout empathy through fatherly courtroom tactics. "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 ... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." The meaning of the above quote is the importance
Scout learns 3 important things about life in the book. One thing she learns is that life is unfair. She experiences this in a court case with her dad defending a black man named Tom Robinson who is accused for raping Mayella Ewell the daughter of Bob Ewell. Mr. Atticus had very good reasons on why Tom should not be accused of rape and everyone in the court including the jury and judge were sure that he would win but at the end of the case the jury decided
In chapter 31 Scout is realizing that the rumor about Boo and how everybody described him wasn’t as she imagined. The novel states “When they finally saw him, why he hadn’t done any of those things...Atticus he was real nice...His hands were underneath my chin, pulling up the cover, tucking it around me. Most people are Scout, when you finally see them” (Lee 323). In other words people shouldn’t believe what other people say about a person until you have met them. After Scout put aside those things, she finally saw and got to know him for who he really was, she considered him as a heart kinded man. This is important because if you do believe what people say you might miss out on the opportunity to make a new friend or role model because you don’t understand that person. In addition, in chapter 3 Scout’s father is explaining how to along with others better by considering their point of view. The text states “First of all,” he said if you 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...until you climb into their skin and walk around in it”(Lee 39). In other words, it isn’t until you truly put yourself in someone else’s position that you will be able to understand what that person has been going though. This illustrates the importance of considering others perspectives and a willingness to be open minded about their
Towards the end of the book, Scout finally grasps the concept of empathy thanks to Arthur “Boo” Radley, who she thinks he is a monster due to the rumors spread around town. She meets him and she changes her perceptions about him as she recalls the events in the book. She realized “Atticus [her father] was right... you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them” (Lee 321). The concept of standing in someone else’s shoes is another way of saying feel how someone else feels.
She’s just escorted the infamous Boo Radley to his house and standing on his front porch gets her reminiscing about what she’s gone through lately, but from Arthur’s perspective. “In my mind the night faded. It was daytime and the neighborhood was busy” (Lee, 373). That’s her slipping into her memories. After reliving her recent past Scout says to herself, “Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough” (Lee, 374). This last quote indicates that her walk down memory lane has changed her view on Arthur Radley for the better. For being the main character who’s supposed to oppose the ignorance and prejudice that’s all around her, Scout was quite the hypocrite for much of the book. She always going on nothing but the gossip and rumor she was fed to judge Arthur’s character. That is, until this point. Scout take Atticus’s words to heart and sees the error of her ways, no longer just ready to accept everything anyone else says about others. This is Scout seeing the readers off with a flashback that guides her towards her own resolution.
The single most important piece of advice Scout received was given to her by her father in the third chapter of the book. Atticus says, “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- until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (Lee 39). Throughout the book, Scout and Jem had been fascinated with Boo Radley,
Many people who read this book usually keep this lesson in their own minds, using it within their own lives. The lesson revolves around the fact that you have to think about the state of affairs from other peoples point of view. People are complicated beings that cannot just be explained from what they portray on the outside. Scout must learn to think about how others lives are lived before jumping to conclusions about them. "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
The first lesson, taught by Atticus, gave Scout a philosophy that is extremely relevant in all circumstances. The quote states, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-...-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it”. Contextually, Scout uses the wisdom, for example, “As Atticus had one advised me to do, I tried to climb into Jem’s skin and walk around in it”. When she narrates this statement through her thoughts she has not fully understood the value of the quotes true meaning, yet. However, later in the book, Scout realizes the importance of the words of wisdom when she is on Boo Radley’s porch. In this specific context, she attains a fuller meaning, that Boo is a misunderstood and misrepresented man.
My title is appropriate for this chapter because it relates to the big lesson that is displayed in this chapter. The lesson is consider “ walking around in their skin”. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view ... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”(Lee 39) Atticus was trying to explain to her that she can’t judge or get upset until she knows what the other person is going through. Scout has to learn to look at things from other people's perspectives “ Walking a mile in someone’s shoes will let you understand the difficulties that people are going through and you are able to understand the challenges they are going through. Scout understands because she is able to empathize with this.