After Scout's rough first day of school, Atticus teaches his daughter an important lesson in perspective. He challenges Scout to view situations from other people's perspective in order to become more tolerant of their given situation. Atticus tells Scout,
"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, 19).
As the novel progresses, Scout...
After Scout's rough first day of school, Atticus teaches his daughter an important lesson in perspective. He challenges Scout to view situations from other people's perspective in order to become more tolerant of their given situation. Atticus tells Scout,
"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, 19).
As the novel progresses, Scout develops her perspective and takes into account Atticus's earlier lesson. Following their raid on the Radley yard, Scout notices that Jem has been moody for an entire week. She says,
"As Atticus had once advised me to do, I tried to climb into Jem’s skin and walk around in it: if I had gone alone to the Radley Place at two in the morning, my funeral would have been held the next afternoon. So I left Jem alone and tried not to bother him" (Lee, 37).
Scout's attempt at viewing the situation from Jem's point of view allows her to become more empathetic to his situation. Scout also applies Atticus's lesson towards the end of the novel following Bob Ewell's attack. Scout is finally introduced to her reclusive neighbor and walks Boo home. While Scout is standing on Boo's porch, she views her neighborhood from Boo's perspective. Scout says,
"It was summertime, and two children scampered down the sidewalk toward a man approaching in the distance. The man waved, and the children raced each other to him. It was still summertime, and the children came closer . . . 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, 172).
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