Character Boo Radley example essay topic

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, through a child's eyes Harper Lee develops a character named Arthur Radley. Arthur is know to the children simply as Boo. The name they have given him, depicts the way the children views him. Throughout the town of Maycomb, people twisted Boo's personality and character into a terrible person. As the novel unfolds, the children finally discover the true character of Boo. But, because Arthur Radley lived in the shadows of society, the creation of the myth of the monster Boo Radley thrived.

One of the reasons for the mysteriousness of Arthur Radley leads to Miss Stephanie, who filled the children's heads with numerous, false tales. The children's minds are soiled with the idea that Boo looked like a horrible monster. This idea was rendered from Miss Stephanie who, in the novel, is the town gossip. She has told Jem plenty of times how Boo looks.

"Jem gave a reasonable description of Boo: 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 was the blood off. There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellowed and rotten; his eyes popped and he drooled most of the time" (Lee, 13). This image of Boo was permanently etched in the children's minds. Every time they were around the Radley house all they could think of was the six-feet-tall monster in there. Of course, Arthur did not really look like that, but any child with an imagination could not dispose of this image.

The town was filled with the rumors of dangerous Boo Radley. Everyone had heard the stories of him being violent and dangerous. Jem tells the other children about a story he heard from Miss Stephanie Crawford. He explains that one day Boo was cutting some information from Maycomb newspaper to paste in his scrapbook. Then, when his father entered the room, Boo stabbed him with the scissors.

Boo drove them right into his leg. Then he returned to his activities like nothing happened (Lee, 11). The children always remembered how dangerous he was. They always had to observe the house from a distance, making sure that there was no way they could get injured. Maycomb never liked Boo's father, Mr. Radley.

He was very strict person, including a foot washing Baptist. He never approved of Arthur's actions as a teenager. So, when Boo was shut up in his house everyone thought that he was being held against his will. But, no one would ever try to challenge Mr. Radley's authority in his house. Therefore, because of the children's ignorance and Miss Stephanie's stories, they develop the character Boo Radley.

The idea of a person living in seclusion in Maycomb, was alien to the children who lived there. Many children were afraid of the Radley. The stories about when and where Boo moves around to, when he secretly leaves his house, are pretty scary for the children. Jem tell Scout and Dill that Boo goes out during the night when it is pitch dark.

He tells them about the time Miss Stephanie saw him looking strait at her though her window. He also explains this is the reason why Miss Rachel locks up so tight (Lee, 13). The children believe that many people are afraid of Boo. Because the children hear some adults talk about Boo Radley and how bad his family is, they believe that he is dangerous also. The stories of Boo being trapped in the basement or even locked in his house, we easily believable by a six and ten year old". Nobody knew what form of intimidation Mr. Radley employed to keep Boo out of sight, but Jem figured that Mr. Radley kept him chained to the bed most of the time" (Lee, 11).

Jem and Scout believed these tales, like they were the truth. Being innocent children, they wanted to help rescue Boo. Scout could never imagine sitting in the house all day. She gets bored on rainy days, so she can not believe how someone could stay in their house for so long. Because it was hard for her to understand that he wanted to stay, she just believed that he was either forced or dead.

Atticus said that he is not dead yet because they have not removed him from the house. However, not even once did the children realistically think why Boo stayed inside. At the end of the novel, Scout finally respected and understood why Arthur Radley choose to live in seclusion. Boo enjoyed being alone in his house.

He had the choice to come out at anytime he wanted to. He never chose to leave. Even though all he had to do is walk out the front door, it was never as simple as that. He really did not know what to do if he left. After his father died, everyone expected Boo to finally emerge from his imprisonment.

But, he never really wanted to leave the comfort and safety of his home. The children finally realized this. They just expected him to come out. They never really thought he didn't want to come out. The firs time Scout met Arthur she immediately realized that he was not use to interacting with people. ."..

Every move he made was uncertain, as if he were not sure his hands and feet could make proper contact with the things he touched" (Lee, 277). Because he was so quiet, Scout forgot that Arthur was even there, while Mr. Tate and Atticus were arguing about he incident with Bob Ewell. He just sat in the shadow of the room, hidden from any notice. Also, when he went to see Jem, he acted as if he had never seen a boy before in his lifetime. One of the most important aspects of Boo that Scout discovers, is that he never hurt anyone. Arthur Radley never caused anyone any pain and suffering.

He only performed courteous acts of heroism. When he put the blanket on Scout, he showed compassion towards her. Most importantly, when he said their lives he showed courage. He proved that he was courageous in more ways than one.

Obviously, he was courageous for killing Bob Ewell and saving Jem. Also, he is courageous for actually emerging from his home. Atticus asks Scout if she understands anything Mr. Tate and he were talking about. He tells her that Jem did not kill Mr. Ewell and that Mr. Ewell fell on his knife. Scout maturely responds that Mr. Tate was right. She says it would be kind of like shooting a mockingbird.

By this comparison, she shows actually how innocent Boo Radley is (Lee, 276). Arthur had lived in his house for over 30 years, he enjoyed his seclusion and wanted it to stay that way. Throughout the novel, the character Boo Radley was misunderstood. His true identity was masked by his longing to be alone. The town of Maycomb did not truly understand why he chose to live separate from the world. No matter, the people of Maycomb had no right to ruin his innocent personality with horrendous stories.

Scout and Jem's curiosity and wild imagination, plus the inconceivable stories that Miss Stephanie told helped carry on the the myth of Boo Radley. Truly, the reality of Arthur was too hard for the children to accept, they could not believe that a person was happy alone, so they in his absence, they developed the character Boo..