To Kill A Mockingbird Character Analysis

In the Pulitzer Prize winning novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird”, Harper Lee illustrates a changing relationship, including the dynamic characters Arthur “Boo” Radley, and Jean “Scout” Louise Finch and Jem Finch. Two young adolescents seek exposure to the monster like, hermit as various residents express their perception on Boo Radley, notably Charles Baker “Dill” Harris. This obnoxious character intrigued the curiosity of Scout and Jem to detect the private life of the Radley’s. Fear of Boo overcomes the minors as they detect sorts of information related to Arthur Radley. In the process, the dynamic characters learn information on Boo including rumors that residents conclude being the truth, illustrating the impression of the main characters that Boo is a monster-like creature. As the children instill that misperception contrived by residents, the children began to fear Boo Radley. Intrigued and curious children challenge their fear as they dare to taunt the innocent man and his household that he has not left in 15 years of his life. Boo Radley, the monster perceived elder, noticed these challenges and was fond of the attention. He expressed his thanks by leaving the youth gifts in the knothole of the tree as he expressed his gratitude. The children apprehend the sudden change the behemoth recluse character in undergo change as the dynamic characters. Scout and Jem’s relationship with Boo Radley undergoes alteration as the characters matriculate the innocent character. They

Scout like most young girls, is very observant about the world around her. Scout tends to show an observant side to her personality when people started to talk trash and spread rumors about Boo Radley. Being a young girl at that time she followed along with the rumors and stories she had heard. Scout, Jem, and Dill then decided to make a game out of the Radle’s ever so

In Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, the character Arthur “Boo” Radley is portrayed as misunderstood, brave, and later on caring. The purpose of the character Arthur “Boo” Radley shows us not to judge a book by its cover. This novel follows siblings Scout and Jem; along with their dad, Atticus Finch. They are a family that lives in Maycomb County. Atticus is a successful lawyer, therefore, he is always busing. Scout and Jem spend most of their summer spying on their neighbor Boo Radley.

Scout had judged Boo Radley based on the stories told to her and never considered that Boo could be anything but the monster she had heard about. After Boo puts his own safety on the line to rescue her and her brother, she realises that the actions of the man standing in front of her were not the actions of a monster. She begins to understand that a person should be judged for their actions, as a persons actions and the choices behind those actions are what truly define

Lee uses delusional terms to show how Scout would believe such a far-fetched idea. However, nearly two years later when Scout has gone through many changes she describes Boo Radley differently by saying, “The Radley place had ceased to terrify me, but it was no less gloomy, no less chilly under its great oaks, and no less uninviting. So many things had happened to us, Boo Radley was the least of our fears.” (Lee, 278–279) Evidently, many events have happened for Scout’s perception of Boo Radley to change so drastically.

In the book, Scout and Jem are inadvertently deceived about Boo Radley. Boo is a shut-in whose reclusive lifestyle is viciously commented on by the residents of Maycomb. The gossip spurs Scout’s and Jem’s fascination with Boo Radley and drives them to incorporate Boo into their games and activities.

When people's azaleas froze in a cold snap, it was because he had breathed on them” (10) These exaggerated tales highlight how Boo is unfairly judged by the community without any first-hand knowledge of him. This judgment reflects how their community views things that are unknown with fear and misunderstanding. The children Scout,Jem and Dill use their imaginations to create a game that mimics the stories they heard about Boo Radley, “As the summer progressed,so did our game. We polished and perfected it, added dialogue and plot until we had manufactured a small play upon which we rang changes every day” (95) The game subtly suggests that the children do not really understand the social issues in the adult world and have yet to be taught the lessons of judgment.

Scout sees Jem, Dill, as well as herself playing, going to school, and growing up to be mature and respectful individuals. Scout puts herself in Boo Radley’s shoes and this gives her an understanding of how his small, lonely world is like. Scout expresses empathy for Boo Radley, who got to learn of laughter and joy through herself, Jem and

Scout and the other children were determined to learn more about Boo Radley, despite being told horror stories about Boo. ""Arthur Radley just stays in the house, that's all,' said Miss Maudie. "Wouldn't you stay in the house if you didn't want to come out?" "Yessum, but I'd wanta come out. Why doesn't he?"" (58 Lee) Scout's childhood curiosity causes her to want to know the truth about Boo Radley. The rest of the town is content with allowing Boo continue to stay within the confines of his house. The rest of the town is also okay with not knowing the true story about Boo. However, this is not the case for Scout. Scout's inner curiosity allows her to ask questions that many others would not ask, or do not care to ask. Due to this the reader is provided with extra information about Boo Radley. This information was obtained by Scout who was not content with the horror stories that she was told. Overall, Scout's youthful curiosity allows her to obtain information on the characters around her for the

The games and stories Jem and Scout create around Boo Radley depict him as a source of violence and danger. However, though these inventions seem designed to prove the children’s braveness and maturity, they paradoxically prove that Jem, Scout, and their friend Dill fundamentally remain children. Their stories are gruesome, and the thrill of their games—such as touching the side of Boo’s house—comes from the danger they imagine they would face if Boo were to catch them. However, the children are able

Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t.”

Arthur “Boo” Radley is the neighbor of the Finches, he tends to stay inside and enjoys the seclusion he has, but due to this, rumors arise. There are stories of Boo going mad, how he sneaks out of his home at night and looks in people’s windows. Scout tells this to her neighbor, Ms. Maudie, who responds with an amused “Stephanie Crawford even told me she woke up in the middle of the night and found him looking in the window at her. I said what did you do, Stephanie, move over in the bed and make room for him? That shut her up for a while,” (60). Despite these rumors, Ms. Maudie saves the day and kindly tells Scout of how she remembers Arthur as a young boy, kind and polite as can be. Stephanie, the town gossip would have obviously

As the children’s relations with the entire of Maycomb, including Atticus, takes on a different path, and so does their relationship with “Boo”. As Scout says "'Mr. Arthur, bend your arm down here, like that.  That's right, sir.'  I slipped my hand into the crook of his arm.  He had to stoop a little to accommodate me, but if Miss Stephanie Crawford was watching from her upstairs window, she would see Arthur Radley escorting me down the sidewalk, as any gentleman would do” (page number).Scout tries to make it like “Boo” Radley is escorting her when in reality she is escorting the shy man. She does this to make sure nobody thinks that “Boo” Radley is just a nervous and vulnerable man who cannot walk himself home. If “Boo” Radley was seen out of his house during the time the kids were playing the “Boo” Radley game, Scout would have tried to show off to everyone that she is so brave and awesome. Scout has finally demonstrated maturity and the ability to comprehend and sympathize. As hard and difficult as the journey from childhood to adulthood can be, Scout has finally completed the journey by “walking in another man’s shoes”. A man who was once thought to be a creepy and a recluse, “Boo” Radley joins the bond between the children’s past and present by serving as an important part of the Scout and Jem’s youth. The man who was once thought to be the grim keeper is no longer there. A new man who is a true friend instead takes the grim keeper’s place by helping children when needed and in key moments when Scout and Jem progress from childhood to

Jem and Scout come to the realization that Boo Radley is a human being, not the monster their childhood stories portrayed him as. As Jem and Scout are discussing what ‘background’ means in Maycomb, Jem tells Scout “I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley’s stayed shut up in the house all this time… it’s because he wants to stay inside” (Lee, 304). Similarly, after Scout accompanies Arthur Radley to his house, after saving the children, Scout stands on his porch as he goes inside. She views their life from his perspective and finally ‘climbs into his skin’ (Lee, 374). They begin to understand Boo and his unusual actions, and Jem realizes he stays inside because he is vulnerable to Maycomb’s prejudice and judgement. Scout finally views their life from his perspective, and understands Boo is truly like anyone else. While they both mature in the sense of gaining perspective from others, when it comes to the trial, Jem understands more than Scout does. During the trial Scout explains, “Jem’s hand, which was resting on the balcony rail, tightened around it. He drew in his breath suddenly” (Lee, 224). However, Scout saw no corresponding reaction, and wondered if Jem was trying to be dramatic (Lee, 224). Jem was very concerned with the case, and clearly understands certain things greater than Scout does. As Atticus is questioning Bob Ewell, Jem clues into what Atticus wants to prove, however, Scout is not capable of seeing what Jem notices. Therefore, Jem understands certain subjects more than Scout because he is more mature. Overall, through the way the children view others in society, they have gained a greater sense of understanding and

We make asumptions about our friends and neighbors without following through to find out if our assumptions are true. Children are more inquisitive then the rest of us though. This is definitely true of Scout, Jem, and Dill. They spent a majority of their summers trying to find out all the jucie details of the neighborhood drama. They seemed to become infactuated with the story of the next door neighbor named Auther “Boo” Radley. The wanted to peg him as a monster that roamed the neighborhood. The feared him because of the rumors the town started and they embellished. The children discribe him as, “Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that’s why his hands were bloodstained—if you ate an animal raw, you can never wash the blood off. There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time.” (Lee 13) They let their imagination take hold of them and they let this mispersepion of him scare them. We can see this misperception of Boo Radley change slowly as they find trinkets in the tree. They also had some brief incounters that made them perplexed. Jem’s mended pants and the blanket around Scouts sholders during the fire let the children confused on their preconceived notions of Boo. Scout had daydreamed about meeting him but never dreamed she would actually get to meet Boo. It took Bob Ewell trying to kill the children to lure Boo Radley out into the open so that Scout could meet her monster. Except when she met him he was no monster, instead he was her savior. He was nothing like her perception of him. He was kind, good manor, and meek. As Scout looked out from Boo Radley’s porch, she stopped and looked around. Scout then stumbled upon the realization that even though Boo never left his house, he could see the whole neighborhood