Some readers might think that Arthur (Boo) Radley is an unnecessary character in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, however, I would have to disagree. Although there may be passages throughout the book that a reader may see as denoting Boo as an entirely superfluous character, each passage that references Boo throughout the novel work to characterize him as a message of tolerance. Although it is true that throughout the novel the character of Boo Radley develops in an almost unnoticeable manner, the passages that refer to Boo are vital to the understanding of the Finch children. Even though Boo can easily be perceived as the most unnecessary main character in the entire novel, as he does not really add much to the novel in a direct way, one must remember that he affects the minds of the young Finch children and helps them see that there is more to the world than hate based on race. He is, indeed a mockingbird, and through this I think his most important message is one of racial tolerance. Had Boo not had an impact on the Finch children, their understanding of people and their ability to notice the fact that the goodness of humans does not discriminate between the races would not exist. The Characterization of Boo Radley is that of a simple-minded or childlike person. Because of this, it is easy for some to believe that Boo, as a character, is nothing more than a man who refused to grow up. In fact, he works hard to show the Finch children that he is not a dangerous person. By placing treats for the children in a tree, he is making their world a brighter place, yet he does not make contact with the children. This is shown through the particular items that Boo had left: most importantly the soap figures that looked eerily similar to the Finch children. Although the Finch children were skeptical of the gifts at first, they soon grew to look forward to them. The gifts show the Finches that Boo Radley does, in fact, look out for them and care about them, as there is little other reason for Boo to know what the children look like. To further understand the lesson of tolerance through this scene, one must look at the reason the gifts had to stop; Boo’s brother filled the holes in the tree with concrete. His
However, all the neighborhood legends about Boo were contradictory to what Boo’s true nature was. He rescued Scout and Jem from being murdered by Mr. Ewell, and in the brief time he was physically present in the book, he showed no signs of malice. He was almost brought into the spotlight because he was the one who stabbed Mr. Ewell in order to rescue the children, but that would hurt Boo because of his content life of solitude. “ To my way of thinkin’, Mr. Finch, taking the one man who’s done you and this town a great service an’ draggin’ him with his shy ways into the limelight-to me, that’s a sin.” (Lee 369-370). Scout also observes on the same page when Atticus tells the cover story to save Boo, “Well, it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?”. Scout was right to say so because it is true that Boo would have suffered a great deal when he was the one who saved the lives of Jem and Scout. Boo Radley
In addition to his curiosity of the children, Boo also demonstrates acts of kindness and concern towards Jem and Scout. This is evident through two scenarios that occur; one involving Jem and the other involving Scout. When Jem leaves the Radley property after retrieving his pants that were stuck the fence, he realizes that the pants were mended and folded, as if someone was waiting upon his arrival. “When I went back, they were folded across the fence… like they were expecting me [...] like somebody could tell what I was gonna do. Can’t anybody tell what I’m gonna do lest they know me, can they, Scout?” (78). Jem’s realization of the situation signifies that Boo Radley does in fact pay attention to the children and wanted to do something nice for them. By mending Jem’s pants and folding them neatly for him, Boo had shown a kindness that they had not seen before. Boo had also shown his concern for the children on the night of the fire, when Miss Maudie's house was erupt in flames. The children were waiting outside for their father, and Boo realized that they must have been cold, so he went and put a blanket around Scout. Scout had not noticed this until she was back at home, when Jem suggested that Boo had put the blanket around her. “‘Someday, maybe, Scout can thank him for covering her up.’ ‘Thank who?’ I asked. ‘Boo Radley. You were so busy looking at the fire you didn’t know it when he put the blanket around you’” (96).
In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee one of the characters, Arthur “Boo” Radley, has a major struggle with society. He is an outcast. Boo being an outcast is caused by many different factors, he deals with it in different ways, and his struggle with society is important.
When the Flinch children moved into Maycomb bad rumors were spread about the Radley house, and soon the children were terrified of this “ghostly” neighbor. Little to their knowledge Boo Radley was not a scary mean person like they thought. Boo taught both Jem and Scout that you should not judge people based on what rumors say. For example, in the beginning of the novel Scout and Jem find a knothole in a tree, but when they kept going to the tree there was always something new, like someone had been putting presents for them in their. “I were trotting in our orbit one mild October afternoon when our knot-hole stopped us again. Something white was inside this time.” (page 79). Even though Boo knew that the kids were scared of him and that they believed the rumors he still put effort into making their day and giving them something. Another example was at the very end of the novel when Boo Radley saved Jem and Scouts life. At this moment Scout had a whole new respect for Boo because he wasn't what everyone said. He was better than that. “ A man was passing under it. The man was walking with the staccato steps of someone carrying a load too heavy for him. He was going around the corner. He was carrying jem. Jem’s arm was dangling crazily in front of him.”(page 352). That was Boo that was carrying Jem back to the Flinch house. Boo Radley saved their lives and Scout will never forget him and learned a valuable lesson
Boo Radley developed with his Almost unnoticeable interaction with Scout at the end of Chapter 8. Scout is watching Miss Maudie's house on fire and when atticus comes back he notices something. Scout is wrapped in a blanket that she didn't have when she left the house.Scout says that she stayed right where he told her to, in front of the Radley Place, but she and Jem saw Mr. Nathan fighting the fire. They Come to the conclusion that it must have been Boo who had put it on her. This would step up the interaction that boo had previously had with the children and now. This also contributes to the Children's Mystery regarding Boo Radley
The book introduces Boo Radley through the perspective of Jem and Scout and they describe in a way that is clear that he is a complex and broken character in the story. Jem say, “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 could 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.”( Hartley, Mary, and Tony Buzan. Harper Lee's To kill a mockingbird. Barrons Educational Series, Inc., 1999.) This description was not accurate of Boo because they had never seen him because he had never been outside of the Radley house. This shows how much of a broken complex character Boo really is. Other broken characters such as Tom Robinson and Mayella Ewell are also included in the story and with their own descriptions and struggles that they are facing in their
In To Kill a Mockingbird, there are several characters that appear to be alienated from society, but Arthur “Boo” Radley is the most important to the plot because he causes mystery and curiosity for Jem and Scout throughout most of the book, but the mystery is solved by the end of the book. Boo Radley was, according to the book, as very pale and sick looking with his clothes in very poor condition.
Boo Radley never harmed anyone, but was judged by the rumors spreading across the community. Although he was not actually introduced until the end of the novel, Boo Radley is set up to be the last discovered symbolic character for the image of the mockingbird. During the last chapter of the novel, Scout comes to the realization that blaming Boo for Bob Ewell's death would be "sort of like shooting' a mockingbird." (chapter 30). Getting Boo sent to jail or killed would be like killing a mockingbird. Boo is truly a good person. He left gifts for Jem and Scout in the trunk of a tree, he wrapped a blanket around them when Miss Maudie's house caught on fire, and he saved them from Bob Ewell when he tried to murder them. Boo Radley is a victim of Maycomb's social prejudice and a perfect representation of Harper Lee's description of the mockingbird.
In To Kill a Mockingbird many characters misunderstood by the town of Maycomb. One character especially is Arthur Boo Radley. The town of Maycomb lacks understanding toward Boo, as the town gossips and creates rumors about him and as they judge him because he’s different from their idea of how one should conduct their life
In the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” written by Harper Lee there are two important characters revealed to us throughout the text. These characters are are Boo Radley and Atticus Finch. These important characters are revealed to us through dialogue, actions and choices and finally through what others say about them. Atticus is a courageous and unprejudiced man with good values and morals. Boo Radley is misunderstood and with one selfless act the opinions from from the community are rapidly changed.
Boo Radley is a very important part of the novel because he was a caring and interesting character that provided many stimulating topics for Jem and Scout to look forward too. Boo Radley cared for the children by looking out for them during dangerous and important times. Most people thought that Boo was a bad person because of his fabled background. The novel perspective was more through Boo’s eyes; this perspective showed the loving side of boo and not the hidden and mysterious side. In the book Boo Radley was a more important and brought up character. Other people in the story believed in him and appreciated him more. From reading the book readers found out that Boo Radley was a great person who cared about the children. In the end the readers probably went more into Boo’s perspective when Scout was standing on Boo Radleys porch. The end of the movie when Scout is standing on the porch isn’t as impacting as the scene in the book. The book scene is more impacting because of what Atticus says about being in someone’s shoes. Boo is an important character in the story. He was an affectionate and loving soul that bonded people together. If he were not in the story, then there would be barely any insight on a loving feeling in the
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.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, Boo Radley is a character that changes from dark to light throughout the novel. Boo changes from a character who everyone is falsely afraid of to a helpful character that saves the kids lives by stabbing Ewell. Harper Lee utilizes the character Boo Radley to explore the theme of not judging a book by its cover.
Although a character may hide in the shadows and pose as an enigma, they may very well play a crucial role in the development of a story. In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, readers get a peek at what life is like in Maycomb County, Alabama and how Boo Radley, a being of mystery in the neighborhood impacts the plot greatly. Boo Radley is the protagonist in To Kill a Mockingbird because a majority of the storyline revolves around him and his appearance at the end of the story plays a pivotal role.
Boo Radley, even though he is not in the book that much, plays a very important part in developing Scout into the person she is at the end of the book.