In the book “To Kill A Mockingbird”, I believe the character Arthur Radley, also known as Boo, is passive and curious, rather than the murderous squirrel eating fiend everyone in Maycomb seems to think he is.
In chapter 4, Scout begins to find mysterious items in the knot of one of the two oak trees outside Radley Place. I believe that these items were not placed in the knot as hiding spot as Scout and Jem come to believe, but were rather left there deliberately for the two to find. I also believe it was Boo Radley leaving these items behind. One of the items in the knot was a sculpture of Jem and Scout, which leads me to think that Boo Radley is as curious about the Finch’s as they are of him. It may also be presumed that, later on, Nathan Radley caught Boo putting the items in the knot of the tree, which would explain why he sealed the hole despite the fact that the tree was perfectly healthy.
In chapter 7, Jem reveals to Scout that, when he went back to Radley Place, his pants were neatly folded over the fence and the tear in them was mended, as if someone was expecting them. The only people who could have fixed the pants would be the Radley’s. I believe Boo straitened out and fixed the pants not Mr. Radley because Mr. Radley shot at the people that were in his yard and I don’t think he would suddenly decide to help out the people he had just shot at. Boo might have wanted to help out the Finch’s instead of seeing them get into trouble, which would show that he is not an evil person.
After the fire in chapter 8, it is revealed that someone had put a blanket over Scout while she and Jem were standing over by the Radley Place in the cold. Atticus revealed that it was most likely Boo Radley who gave her the blanket since Mr. Radley was helping by the fire and the kids were ato distracted to even turn around. This shows that Boo noticed Scout was cold and chose to help, which proves that he might not be so bad after all.
Arthur “Boo” Radley has chose to help the Finch’s in a few occasions and might have even had a little game with them, with the items in the tree. I believe that the Finch’s understanding and demeanor toward Arthur will change in the following chapters. This is one of those “don’t judge too quickly” moments since appearances can be deceiving.
The people in the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” express respectable and admirable qualities, even in situations beyond their control.
Many of the people in Maycomb seem to have good character, relating to heir morals and their personalities. Atticus is one of the major influences in Scout and Jem’s lives. He has tried to teach them that it was wrong to make fun of Boo Radley even if he couldn’t see them. So far, Atticus has tried to teach the two kids the difference between right and wrong. Calpurnia is also a major influence in their lives. She tried to teach Scout about how to treat your guests when Scout was giving Walter Cunningham a hard time.
It is also noticeable how the Maycomb people react to harsh situations. The Cunningham’s were described as “poor but proud”, even in the face of more financial distress, they will not take anything for free and find it imperative to pay those who have helped them. Also, Miss Maudie’s reaction after her house burnt down was quite unexpected. She saw the overall situation with a positive outlook rather than with grief.
Another noteworthy character is Boo Radley who, despite what everyone thought about him, he still managed to be OK. I imagine that Boo knew, at least expected that people made fun of him or had preconceived notions about him. He may have also expected what Scout and Jem thought about him, when they rolled the tire with Scout in it at his house and when Jem was dared to touch the house. Regardless of this, Boo helped the two out a few times.
Many of the characters in the novel have very respectable qualities, even if it doesn’t appear so. The way the characters react can often be surprising.
No comments:
Post a Comment