Don’t Be Heartless

Don’t Be Heartless

Having compassion towards another human being benefits the giver. Love and compassion are necessities that mankind cannot survive without. The giver plays a critical role in the rehabilitation of the receiver’s life. It does not matter if we are the giver or the receiver, compassion is shown for both directions. In both, “Thank You, Ma’am,” by Langston Hughes and, “Tattoos on the Heart,” by Gregory Boyle, we see characters who have compassion towards individuals who indicate criminal tendencies. It is clear in the above example that boundless compassion can benefit the receiver and the giver as both learn from each other’s life experiences.

In the short story, “Thank You, Ma’am”, Ms. Jones an older lady, shows compassion to Roger by teaching him a lesson of honesty. Ms. Jones actions allows Roger to analyze his living style and why he needs to choose a path of righteousness when Rodger tries to steal her pocket- book, he fails. Ms. Jones realizes that if she chooses to turn Roger to the police, he would continue his life of delinquency and he would never learn an instead, she gives him a towel to wash his face and tells him “I believe you’re hungry....” (2) Ms. Jones was able to make a difference by helping him with her compassion. She helps a young man stay out of prison and shows she trusts him in her home. All the actions she made towards the young man came from her heart, as she did not ask him for anything in return. In the end, of, Ms. Jones taught the young man the value of honesty through compassion when she eventually even gave him money to buy the shoes he wanted it. Clearly, Rodger, The receiver benefit.

In the book, ‘Tattoos on the Heart’, Fr. Boyle describes how gang members can be rehabilitate with the help of another wounded gang member through the act of compassion. A gang member who was around twenty-five years old said, “that’s what Jesus did. I mean, Compassion …IS …GOD” (62). Individuals who did illicit activities in some point of their life can be the best givers as they understand the process it takes for regeneration in individuals who has a history of crime, violence and addictions. The environment that both the giver and receiver lives in helps to understand each other. The giver must know the struggles and difficulties that the receiver needs to face in his environment when trying to make changes in his life for good. They both know the feeling of rejection from society. Father Boyle states, “compassion isn’t just about feeling the pain of others; it’s about bringing them in toward yourself” (75). The purpose of the giver is to bring