Boo Radley
Written by Alecia, Jonathan L., Natalia, Anonymous
Who could forget about the strange, mysterious character in an old house? Boo Radley, the man of the strangest ways but the purest at heart, keeping to his house as the community batters away at him. He had rumors but ends up as the hero to Scout and Jem. The process in which we find out who he supposedly was and is now is explored below.
Arthur "Boo" Radley was a dynamic fellow, thought as a monster but at the core innocent and nice. Boo was a mentally ill man living with his horribly mean brother and for this reason alone is why Boo had to stay home (Lee 62). Never being seen, the Maycomb County has altered his image into a violent and vicious figure. In the beginning of the book there are instances where he is portrayed even as a creeper, especially when Jem swears he saw a figure in the yard at night (58). But in truth Boo Radley was nicer than most people you would meet. He left gifts in the oak tree, he mended Jem's pants, and he also placed a blanket over Scout one night (59; 72). We, the readers, discover his niceness quite early but Jem and Scout do not realize this until the end. Boo is also one of the bravest people in Maycomb county, Boo defended Jem and Scout when Bob Ewell tries to murder them. Boo, throughout the story, is transformed from a wretched being in to the main and innocent point of the book, the mockingbird.
After the Tom Robinson trial, Jem and Scout start to have a different understanding of Boo Radley, merely a reticent man. “Scout, I think I'm beginning to understand something. I think 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" (117). Having seen a sample of the horrible things their fellow townspeople can do, choosing to stay out of the mess of humanity does not seem like such a strange choice. When Boo finally does come out, he has a good reason Bob Ewell is trying to murder the Finch kids. No one sees what happens in the scuffle, but at the end of it, Ewell is dead and Boo is carrying an unconscious Jem to the Finch house (262). Finally faced with Boo, Scout does not even recognize him after all; she’s never seen him before, except in her dreams. As Atticus and Mr. Tate debate over what to say about Bob Ewell’s death Scout intervenes. She chooses to oppose her father in revealing Boo, sparing Boo with his fear of being in public. “'Well, it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it'” (276). Not only in this does Scout mature but she final understands Boo’s position.
Throughout the entire story a conflict that we see that includes Boo Radley is him versus the society of Maycomb County. In the beginning of the book we are introduced to Boo Radley as a six and half foot tall man who leaves "tracks" and eats raw squirrels. Not only that but they say he has bloodstained hands and a long jagged scar that runs across his face and his smile is full of yellow teeth and he drools all over the place (13). That specific passage is showing that the children of Maycomb were raised being told that Arthur "Boo" Radley was pretty much a monster. Another way they might view him is as a wild animal because they says he leaves tracks and that he eats raw animals. This is Boo versus the society because society has a certain view of him and that is not who he really is. In reality Boo Radley is actually a nice person. Boo is a nice person because he leaves things for Jem and Scout to find. Also he fixed and folded Jem’s pants when they had gone into his yard (58). Not only that but when we get to the end of the book Arthur Radley ends ups saving Jem and Scout when they are getting attacked by Bob Ewell (276). So he is actually a good person but people do not get to see that side of him. I would say that maybe he is afraid of adults because the only time he ends up doing good deeds he is doing them for the children. So it's Mr. Radley against the society and he is not winning, they think he's a monster but he's not.
In conclusion Boo Radley is a dynamic character because he goes from violent and creepy to nice and innocent throughout the book. As you have read above there were a lot of assumptions about Arthur (Boo) including that he was dangerous and insane. But later in the book we come to realize he is really a kind man.
Arthur "Boo" Radley was a dynamic fellow, thought as a monster but at the core innocent and nice. Boo was a mentally ill man living with his horribly mean brother and for this reason alone is why Boo had to stay home (Lee 62). Never being seen, the Maycomb County has altered his image into a violent and vicious figure. In the beginning of the book there are instances where he is portrayed even as a creeper, especially when Jem swears he saw a figure in the yard at night (58). But in truth Boo Radley was nicer than most people you would meet. He left gifts in the oak tree, he mended Jem's pants, and he also placed a blanket over Scout one night (59; 72). We, the readers, discover his niceness quite early but Jem and Scout do not realize this until the end. Boo is also one of the bravest people in Maycomb county, Boo defended Jem and Scout when Bob Ewell tries to murder them. Boo, throughout the story, is transformed from a wretched being in to the main and innocent point of the book, the mockingbird.
After the Tom Robinson trial, Jem and Scout start to have a different understanding of Boo Radley, merely a reticent man. “Scout, I think I'm beginning to understand something. I think 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" (117). Having seen a sample of the horrible things their fellow townspeople can do, choosing to stay out of the mess of humanity does not seem like such a strange choice. When Boo finally does come out, he has a good reason Bob Ewell is trying to murder the Finch kids. No one sees what happens in the scuffle, but at the end of it, Ewell is dead and Boo is carrying an unconscious Jem to the Finch house (262). Finally faced with Boo, Scout does not even recognize him after all; she’s never seen him before, except in her dreams. As Atticus and Mr. Tate debate over what to say about Bob Ewell’s death Scout intervenes. She chooses to oppose her father in revealing Boo, sparing Boo with his fear of being in public. “'Well, it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it'” (276). Not only in this does Scout mature but she final understands Boo’s position.
Throughout the entire story a conflict that we see that includes Boo Radley is him versus the society of Maycomb County. In the beginning of the book we are introduced to Boo Radley as a six and half foot tall man who leaves "tracks" and eats raw squirrels. Not only that but they say he has bloodstained hands and a long jagged scar that runs across his face and his smile is full of yellow teeth and he drools all over the place (13). That specific passage is showing that the children of Maycomb were raised being told that Arthur "Boo" Radley was pretty much a monster. Another way they might view him is as a wild animal because they says he leaves tracks and that he eats raw animals. This is Boo versus the society because society has a certain view of him and that is not who he really is. In reality Boo Radley is actually a nice person. Boo is a nice person because he leaves things for Jem and Scout to find. Also he fixed and folded Jem’s pants when they had gone into his yard (58). Not only that but when we get to the end of the book Arthur Radley ends ups saving Jem and Scout when they are getting attacked by Bob Ewell (276). So he is actually a good person but people do not get to see that side of him. I would say that maybe he is afraid of adults because the only time he ends up doing good deeds he is doing them for the children. So it's Mr. Radley against the society and he is not winning, they think he's a monster but he's not.
In conclusion Boo Radley is a dynamic character because he goes from violent and creepy to nice and innocent throughout the book. As you have read above there were a lot of assumptions about Arthur (Boo) including that he was dangerous and insane. But later in the book we come to realize he is really a kind man.