In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and the excerpt Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody, the friendship between Scout and Boo Radley and the friendship between Essie Mae and the Johnson children are frowned upon by society, while simultaneously challenging the time's social codes. Scout and Boo's friendship is disapproved of by society because they are complete strangers. Scout and Boo form an unlikely friendship when Boo begins leaving trinkets for her ranging from "a small box patchworked with bits of tinfoil collected from chewing gum wrappers" to "a ball of gray twine" (Lee). Even though Boo doesn't know Scout and Scout doesn't know the real Boo, he continues to leave her things and Scout continues to take them. This friendship
Initially written as a simple love story, To Kill a Mockingbird is regarded by many to be one of the finest examples of classical American literature; it is a compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving tale. This novel delves deep into the readers thoughts and paradigms, for it exposes such ingrained aspects of human behavior and consciousness - ideals/themes of innocence and experience, love and hatred, justice and racism, courage and cowardice, and many more. Nonetheless, at it's core To Kill a Mockingbird is, as the author Harper Lee puts it, a "love story, pure and simple". There are many diverse yet interconnected love stories in To Kill a Mockingbird. However, the most prominent one is the relationship between Atticus, a righteous
Scout identifies Boo as a mockingbird, equating that he is defenseless with purity, just like the bird. She can acknowledge his perspective in their town, as she knows the scrutiny he’d face if this were revealed publicly. This proves that Scout is growing in her courteousness and maturity after her exposure to the world’s harsh reality. Likewise, Lee indicates Scout’s attainment of maturity when she’s able to express her sorrow for the neglect the town has put Boo Radley through. As Scout walks Boo home, she reflects on the number of times she and her older brother, Jem, have made the visit outside of the Radley home, growing more curious every day.
Despite his mysterious presence throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Boo Radley is more of a father figure to Scout and Jem because he cares for them, he plays games with them, and he saved their lives. Boo is like father because he cares about both of them. An example of this is when boo put the blanket over scout on the night of the fire. When scouts finds out she has an unknown blanket on her Jem says, “Boo Radley. You were so busy looking at the fire you didn’t know it when he put the blanket around you”
Boo would leave small gifts in a tree near his residence for the Finch kids to find, he mended Jem’s pants when he was caught wandering in the Radley yard, and he did Maycomb County a huge honor by executing Bob Ewell, a man who caused much to the town. On page 321, Scout says, “Boo is our neighbor. He gave us 2 soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good luck pennies, and our lives. we had given him nothing, and it made me sad.” Boo’s character was very honorable as he took care of his community without wanting something in return.
In Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the author utilizes the theme of an expanding perspective to show how Boo Radley longs to show Jem and Scout that Maycomb’s opinion of him is incorrect. First, Boo takes interest in Jem and Scout, thus broadening his perspective on life, and leaves them gifts, such as gum and Indian head pennies, in the
Another example is when Jem and Scout are sitting at the Radley’s house because Miss Maudie’s house had caught on fire. Scout receives a blanket from Boo but is lost how he gave it to her , Atticus explains to Scout and Jem “Boo radley. You were so busy looking at the fire you didn’t it know when he put your blanket around you”(pg. 96) .This is one time Boo is known to the children, he is showing caring characteristics, and has shown that the children can depend on him.
A misunderstood man who was locked up as a child, tries to make his first relationships in a long time; this is Arthur “Boo” Radley. In To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Boo leaves some odd items inside a hole in a tree trunk for his neighbor’s kids, Jean Louise “Scout” and Jeremy “Jem” Finch. The items he leaves leads to symbolizing the relationship between him and the children; at the same time, they symbolize some of his characteristics. Boo leaves a spelling bee medal, which symbolizes the connection between him and Scout. Arthur is the only person who can put the medal there because his brother filled up the hole with cement later on, and his dad has no connection or relation with Jem and Scout.
Boo is kind to the children despite the children unintentionally insulting him. Boo Radley is a mystery to the children because he stays locked up in his house with no contact to the outside world. Scout, Jem and Dill, being children, begin to reenact the life of Boo based on rumors and their imagination. Although this may seem insulting, Boo understands that they are children, he even gives them gifts in a knot hole. “The following week the knot-hole yielded a tarnished medal. Jem showed it to Atticus, who said it was a spelling medal, that before we were born the Maycomb County schools had spelling contests
To be an honors student it means you are responsible and respectful. A honors student should be ready to take a task and fulfil it to the best of their ability. It means they are ready to challenge yourself with complex tasks and complete them responsibly while going above and beyond.
Arthur “Boo” Radley feels affection towards Jem and Scout; he also loves them. However, the children do not know that from the beginning, and they become aware of his feelings at the end of the novel. They do become more understanding towards the end because they learn more about human nature and to look at situations in other people’s perspective to become more understanding. Boo expresses his love for them various times. He was the one to give them presents by leaving the presents in the mysterious knot-hole.
From the narrator, Scout’s, point of view it seems like she likes her family, although it seems that her dad kind of stays out of things in her life. Scout says, “Jem and I found our father satisfactory: he played with us, read to us, and treated us with courteous detachment.” (6) This makes me think that although they like Atticus as a father and he does normal stuff with them like read and play, he isn't the type of father who wants to know everything that they are doing and be all up in their life. He is courteously detached from their life. It seems that he enjoys spending time with them, but doesn't go out of his way to be with them and know what is going on. Another quote that makes me thing that Scout likes her family is when Atticus
Harper Lee’s classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, wonderfully portrays the rises and falls of a close sibling relationship. Jem Finch is ten years old and just beginning to understand and evaluate the world around him, including his sister, Scout. Jem and Scout are close, but then grow apart due to Jem’s newfound independence, but grow close again once they both mature enough. Jem’s evaluations of school, teachers, peers, neighbors, family, gender roles, race relations, and himself greatly affect this change in relation with his sister. Jem’s changing relationship with his sister highlights his changing perception and values.
A moral compass is a term often used to describe Atticus Finch, The father of Jem and Scout, in To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus Finch was an extremely well-educated man, which plays a major role in teaching his children lessons that are crucial to growing up. Finch is a very important figure in the lives of his children throughout the entire novel. Considering the point of view of other people is a lesson passed down from Finch to his daughter, Scout 1. Avoiding racism is yet another extremely important lesson that both Jem and Scout receive from their father. Though every concept Finch passed down to his children was important, the most significant lesson that was received from Atticus Finch, is that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird 3.
Throughout Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem, Scout, and Boo Radley played a meaningful and important role. As the novel progressed the relationship of Jem, Scout, and Boo Radley developed in a significant way. The children had a growing curiosity of Boo Radley in the first few chapters of the novel. Eventually the curiosity faded as the children became more mature and the novel lost its innocence. However, by the end of the novel the events caused Jem and Scout to obtain an amicable relationship with Boo Radley. The development of the relationship between Boo Radley and the children created a meaningful back story which allowed the novel to have a heartwarming touch on many people.
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).