Topic 4: Examine and analyze the character Arthur “Boo” Radley.
Topic 4: Examine and analyze the character Arthur “Boo” Radley. What is his purpose in the novel—why does he exist? How would the story be different without him?
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Permalink Reply by Infinite 9A on
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I agree when you say that Boo Radley taught Jem and Scout an important life lesson to not judge others -- but don't you think there would be a much bigger difference if he was not in the book besides there being no mysterious character, that he has a much bigger significance?
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Permalink Reply by Cake 9A on
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But were Scout, Jem, and Dill only curious about Arthur Radley? I think it wasn't just curiosity, I think it was because they wanted to be the first to see Arthur (Boo) Radley. In chapter 1 when Dill first came to them he says " Let's try to make him (Boo Radley) come out," said Dill. " I'd like to see what he (Boo Radley) looks like." (Lee, 16), although curiosity was the main reason why they wanted him to come out, i think its because of the rumors they heard that they wanted to see Boo Radley so badly.
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Permalink Reply by The Explorer 9C on
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It's the rumors that caused the curiosity, as children they wanted to be able to brag about seeing him; all the children are already intrigued by the terrifying descriptions of him. Jem, Scout and Dill want to confirm that as well as have their own adventure; therefore I agree with you. But you're stating the obvious, there are more factors as to why they really went after the mysterious man. It's the thrill they all feel while on the adventures, as children it's one of the best feelings, but they get used to this feeling and no longer feel it at one point. To prove this, Scout says, "When we were small, Jem and I confined our activities to the southern neighborhood, but when I was well into the second grade at school and tormenting Boo Radley became passé" (Lee 137). Passé means out of date, therefore the children grew tired of the mysterious Boo Radley. This shows that the feeling of thrill the children once fell in love with, was no longer. This caused them to lose interest in him, and the passion for discovering him first to be lost
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The purpose of Boo Radley in the novel is to teach not only Jem and Scout, but people reading the novel that you should not be quick to judge people based on what others say/believe. In Maycomb, when Jem and Scout were kids, things were said about Boo Radley that made him sound awful. jem describes him as " [someone who] dined on raw squirrels and nay cats he can catch, that's why his hands were bloodstained"..."what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time" (Lee 13). Jems description of Boo--clearly based on what he's heard because he hasn't seen boo-- describes him as someone you don't want to be around. Their was also rumors about how "[Boo's] father entered the room [and] Boo drove the scissors into his leg" (Lee 11). According to Miss Maudie, that's how the story goes. the story may not even be right and even if it is, you shouldn't judge someone based off of one action. throughout the majority of the book, Jem and Scout seen Boo as a bad person even tough they have never seen/ talked to him to actually know is character. At the end, Jem and Scout are attacked by Bob Ewell. Scout calls jem but cant find him. then, she sees a man "[crossing] the front yard. Light from our front door framed Atticus for an instant; he ran down the steps, and together, he and the man took jem inside" (Lee 263). at first, scout didn't know it was Boo. If Boo acted like how he was described, he wouldn't have helped Jem. this shows Boo had good not bad character. it also shows that the way that the kids thought about him didn't match u with his true character. this teaches the kids as well as the readers of the book to not judge someone based on what other people say.
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The purpose of Arthur "Boo" Radley is to symbolize the effect of killing a mockingbird. Boo was an innocent child-just like Scout-that made a mistake, but unfortunately this caused his life to be ripped away from his very own hands. Boo goes to show that what we say about people just shows how bad we are as people not them. Those people we say bad things about might be those that watch us from afar and always have our backs. Hating and discriminating against who wronged without knowing the full story "it'd be sort of like shootin' a mockingbird". At the end of chapter 31 Scout is telling Atticus what she understood from the story Atticus read her. She said, "An' they chased him 'n' never could catch him 'cause they didn't know what he looked like, an' Atticus, when they finally saw him, why he hadn't done any of those things...Atticus, he was real nice...." (Lee 281). Even though Harper Lee made it sound like Scout was talking about the book, there is way bigger message in that sentence. It feels like Scout is reflecting on the whole book "To Kill A Mockingbird" because in the book it is a reoccurring idea of an innocent being "attacked" by the community. Although, here Scout is very much talking about the infamous Boo Radley. Scout describes the treatment of Arthur about how people assumed he was and how he actually turned out to be perfectly. She described him as the mockingbird.
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I agree with what you have to say Smiley. Boo is a character who is just misunderstood from everyone, which makes him the mockingbird. Everyone thinks that Boo is a bad character, when he is just different from everyone else because he likes to stay inside away from the society and people. He is actually a very sweet and shy person who likes to watch Jem and Scout from afar. Everyone including Jem and Scout, used to think very badly of him-that is, until he actually saved them. When he saved them, Scout actually became friends with him: "I gazed at him in wonder and his lips parted into a timid smile. Our neighbor’s image blurred with my sudden tears. “Hey, Boo,” I said."(Lee 362). Scout had finally talked with Boo, after he had saved her and Jem, from Bob Ewell. Boo is just a good guy who is just scared and shy from people. And Scout had realized how much of a good guy he was after he had saved her and her brother Jem.
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Permalink Reply by Mavireck Apples 9c on
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I think of Boo Radley as that nice and kind person that people think is bad, and i think his purpose is to be a role model and look out for scout. This is because of several times like when he puts a blanket around scout, and when he puts candy and toys in the tree for Jem,Scout, and Dill to eat and play with, or when he saves Scout from death from Bob Ewell. According to what Harper Lee the author of To Kill a Mockingbird states" Atticus told scout: who put this blanket on you, she said I don't know [ I think it was Boo Radley]( Lee 10). This shows that even if she didn't know who put the blanket on her she knew it was him. After this moment Scout's mindset changed about Boo Radley because she thought of him as that mean person that haunts the town. This shows that Boo Radley is looking out for scout.because as Harper Lee states" Boo Radley was our neighbor He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and a chain, a pair of good luck pennies, and our lives, but never give in return. This shows that Scout is starting to thing he is not that bad person I know but he is that person that everyone else is not. He is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, and Reverent. He is everything a scout is, and a scout goes into a team and a team becomes family so i think of Boo Radley a family member for scout and a role model to her.
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I agree with you Maverick. Becuase when someone could actually look up to a person that you described as Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, and Reverent this make that person very special. In the book to kill a mockingbird Harper Lee states " Thank you for my children, Arthur"( Lee 317). This clearly shows that, the father (Atticus) and the children (Scout & Jem ) are all grateful to be as one piece. Meaning, that they are all family and would stick to one another. Boo is a type of person that's diffeent. Some people saw him as a bad person. With this one can see that we should not Jude a person based on rumors and gossip, and actually try to look from there point of view.
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I agree with what most of what you have say, but I disagree that Boo Radley is a rolemodel for Scout. Even though he is a very good character, he is not someone Scout can look up to. Afterall he had stayed in his house for decades. He would be good rolemodel if he actually was brave enough to show himself in front of others, and not be scared to go out of his house, or out of his comfort zone. In the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, it states how everyone thinks of Boo Radley: "People [Maycomb County] said “Boo” Radley went out at night and peeped in people’s windows. That he breathed on flowers and they froze instantly. They said he committed little crimes in the night but not one ever saw him" (Lee 3). This quote shows how everyone thinks badly of Boo, when he is not much of a bad character, he is just scared. Boo Radley being scared is not a good rolemodel for Scout, someone who could be a good rolemodel for scout is for example like Atticus and Calpurina who are very brave, unlike Boo.
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I disagree with you cranberry because he showed a heroic action at the end. Yes he did hide all this time but it wasn't his choice his Dad put him in the house so he got used to it. now tell if you were put in a house for 20 years and people spread rumors about you, would you still want to get out-No. As Harper lee the author of To Kill a Mockingbird states:"Boo was half man, half monster, all terror: ''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."(Lee). If you had all those rumors about you would you want to get out of the house. No you wouldn't because people would be scared of you will not like you. At the end he was a hero and most heros stay hiding in a batcave or another galaxy,and Boo is a hero that hides in his house
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If Boo were to be seen as a hero/ role model to Scout, he would have the courage to leave his home after all those years of not being able to. I understand where you're coming, Maverick Apples, by saying he was put in a bad position and i do agree with that, but Boo was shown to be a coward by hiding. Nowhere in the book does it suggest that Boo became a role model for Scout. However, it does suggest that he taught her an important lesson that "Most people are [nice], when you finally see them"(Lee367). Acknowledging the fact that there had been rumors in his neighborhood, that could have been a chance for Boo to reveal himself as someone that young ones, like Scout, could possibly look up to.
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I agree with you that Boo Radley is helpful, friendly, kind, and brave. But what do you mean by obedient and cheerful? We have only met Boo Radley one time (not including when he put the blanket on Scout), and from that one time i wouldn't describe him as cheerful. In chapter 29 when Scout says the guy standing in the corner of the room is Boo Radley,she describes him, and while describing him she says "His (Boo Radley) lips parted into a timid smile," (Lee 362), if he was cheerful he would of smiled confidently or radiantly, but he wasn't confident at the moment, i think he was scared because for the first time, hes around a group of people
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