Evelyn Waugh, a prolific journalist and writer, once said, “Instead of this absurd division into sexes they ought to class people as static and dynamic.” When looking at this quote and its relation to the story in To Kill a Mockingbird, one can recognize that the different characters in the novel showed varying amounts of development. Some remained the same in almost all aspects as static characters, while others underwent changes as dynamic characters. By analyzing their personalities, one can easily see that Scout Finch, Atticus Finch, and Boo Radley are three characters who exhibit traits of being either static or dynamic characters. Upon Aunt Alexandra’s arrival at the Finch household, Scout’s aunt quickly decides that Scout “. . . was
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Approaching his mid-fifties, Atticus already has his values set in stone. Atticus is adept at considering things from others’ perspectives, and a primary focus of Atticus’ in the novel focuses on respect. When Jem asks Atticus why many people in Maycomb think Atticus is wrong to defend Tom Robinson, Atticus responds with, “‘They’re certainly entitled to think that, and they’re entitled to full respect for their opinions’” (139). Additionally, Atticus indicates that his personality is automatically brave by showing courage in multiple situations. For example, when Atticus sat outside of the jailhouse to protect Tom Robinson and when Atticus shot a mad dog, he showed the people of Maycomb his focused, courageous side. This even-handedness implies that Atticus remains calm and collected even in times of trouble. He exudes wisdom and intelligence; a father figure that many in Maycomb look up to. When Atticus decided to defend Tom Robinson, he knew that he would face societal repercussions for his choice, but because he believed strongly in justice he continued with the case. This further supports that Atticus is a static character by providing evidence that Atticus does not care what others think of him, and will maintain his own values …show more content…
An outcast of Maycomb’s community, even Boo’s name is taboo, and the women and children of Maycomb routinely spread rumors about him. Boo lives with his cruel older brother, and he is another example of a “mockingbird of society;” someone who did no real wrong but suffered from others’ harsh actions. In Boo Radley’s case, his actual character did not change, but since Boo’s character was maintained as a figment of the children 's’ imaginations for the first half of the book, one could say the others’ perception of him changed. In that sense, Boo can be classified as a dynamic character. Many know of the old adage, “If a tree falls in a forest and nobody is there to hear it, did it really fall?” Similarly, if nobody perceives someone’s character, do they really have a character worthy of discussion? By this example, Boo can be considered a dynamic character because the person that others think he is changes drastically. Throughout the book, the reader knows only as much about Boo as Scout does, which makes Boo appear to be very dynamic. At the beginning, Boo is portrayed as a cat eating abomination of a person, but towards the end he leaves the children gifts and saves their lives. This shows the appearance of a dynamic character, even though Boo’s personality itself does not change. When Scout realizes how nice Boo really is, she and Atticus have a conversation in which they discuss Boo’s
Approaching his mid-fifties, Atticus already has his values set in stone. Atticus is adept at considering things from others’ perspectives, and a primary focus of Atticus’ in the novel focuses on respect. When Jem asks Atticus why many people in Maycomb think Atticus is wrong to defend Tom Robinson, Atticus responds with, “‘They’re certainly entitled to think that, and they’re entitled to full respect for their opinions’” (139). Additionally, Atticus indicates that his personality is automatically brave by showing courage in multiple situations. For example, when Atticus sat outside of the jailhouse to protect Tom Robinson and when Atticus shot a mad dog, he showed the people of Maycomb his focused, courageous side. This even-handedness implies that Atticus remains calm and collected even in times of trouble. He exudes wisdom and intelligence; a father figure that many in Maycomb look up to. When Atticus decided to defend Tom Robinson, he knew that he would face societal repercussions for his choice, but because he believed strongly in justice he continued with the case. This further supports that Atticus is a static character by providing evidence that Atticus does not care what others think of him, and will maintain his own values …show more content…
An outcast of Maycomb’s community, even Boo’s name is taboo, and the women and children of Maycomb routinely spread rumors about him. Boo lives with his cruel older brother, and he is another example of a “mockingbird of society;” someone who did no real wrong but suffered from others’ harsh actions. In Boo Radley’s case, his actual character did not change, but since Boo’s character was maintained as a figment of the children 's’ imaginations for the first half of the book, one could say the others’ perception of him changed. In that sense, Boo can be classified as a dynamic character. Many know of the old adage, “If a tree falls in a forest and nobody is there to hear it, did it really fall?” Similarly, if nobody perceives someone’s character, do they really have a character worthy of discussion? By this example, Boo can be considered a dynamic character because the person that others think he is changes drastically. Throughout the book, the reader knows only as much about Boo as Scout does, which makes Boo appear to be very dynamic. At the beginning, Boo is portrayed as a cat eating abomination of a person, but towards the end he leaves the children gifts and saves their lives. This shows the appearance of a dynamic character, even though Boo’s personality itself does not change. When Scout realizes how nice Boo really is, she and Atticus have a conversation in which they discuss Boo’s