To Kill A Mockingbird Compassion Analysis

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Do you really know what compassion means? The exact definition of compassion is “sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.” Compassion makes up your personal character and who you are. Some people are just born more compassionate than others and are naturally more caring than others. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, one of the many themes is to show compassion and be compassionate towards other people. Some of the characters in the book are constantly showing compassion, while others are more cold-hearted and not quite as sympathetic. The children learn and see compassion through Boo Radley, Tom Robinson and Mrs. Dubose. Boo Radley is a man who is seemingly unreal. No one has seen him for years since his …show more content…
Atticus got the case of proving Tom’s innocence against Mayella’s accusations. She claimed he had assaulted her, even though looking at the case it was quite obvious that he was not guilty. Tom was missing part of his left arm and she had manipulated and framed him. The case was going to be hard though because Tom Robinson is black and Mayella Ewell is a white woman. Even though her family isn’t very respected, it was still a white man’s word against a black man’s and with the racism at that time, it was going to be all about the jury’s decision. Tom Robinson got criticized and ridiculed and people were even trying to physically harm him. He went through a lot and his reputation was ruined, taking down the Finch’s name with it. Tom was ruled guilty, and ended up going to prison. He tried to hop the fence, but ended up getting shot repeatedly by the guards. Jem was really affected by the outcome of the case and was very upset. It taught the children compassion towards Tom and to care for people no matter their color. “You never understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” (Lee, 30) Atticus is speaking in this quote and he means that you never truly understand what people are going through until you’re in their position and the hardships people