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Boo Radley Character Analysis

Decent Essays

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

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