Katherine Sullivan
Pankratz English 2, Second Hour
To Kill A Mockingbird Essay #2
13 August 2014
Boo Radley: Freak or Friend?
Scout Finch’s views on the world and how she sees the people of Maycomb change as she sees the changes that happen to the Radley house and Boo Radley.
Arthur (Boo) Radley was a man who was described to, “dine 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. There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time. (Lee, 65)”. The people of Maycomb, Alabama think Boo is a crazy man who needs to be put in an asylum. By stating this it …show more content…
For example when he mends Jem’s pants when they ripped. He also gave Scout a blanket when she was watching Dubose house burn down so she wouldn’t get chilled. He is also the one who would try to communicate with the children when no one else would. He brought them gifts such as chewing gum, polished pennies, gray twine, miniature dolls of the children, a whole package of gum, a tarnished spelling bee metal, and finally the pocket watch, which wouldn’t run, and knife. At the end of the book Boo acted as a guardian angel when he killed Bob Ewell, the abusive father, who tried to attack Jem and Scout. Through these acts of kindness the children get to know the real Boo Radley. Scout goes from being terrified of him saying, “Every night-sound I heard from my cot on the back porch was magnified three-fold; every scratch of feet on gravel was Boo Radley seeking revenge, every passing negro laughing in the night was Boo Radley loose and after us; insects splashing against the screen were Boo Radley's insane fingers picking the wire to pieces; the Chinaberry trees were malignant, hovering, alive. (Lee, 84)”, to feeling bad about “only taking from the tree, we never gave him anything in return” and then fearlessly walking up to …show more content…
By putting herself in Boo’s shoes she realized that she needed to do a self-evaluation. Scout realizes that she needs to change the way she thinks and acts towards people.
Scout learned early in life how to apply the lessons she learned to her everyday life. For example, Aunt Alexandria’s dinner party. Scout acted like a lady by putting aside her old views on how she felt about acting like a lady and wearing dresses. Another example is when she hears about Tom Robinson’s death and says, “If Aunt Alexandria could be a lady at a time like this, so could I.” By putting away her childish ways and trying to become an adult and accepting that fact that she needed to grow up and act like a lady made Scout realize what really matters in life and how to act in certain situations.
In conclusion Scout grew and matured more than any other character in this book. She learns many valuable lessons including how to distinguish right from wrong and that she should not judge someone until she gets to know them and she has to put herself in their situation. Over the course of the three years she becomes a more lady-like and respectable young
Pankratz English 2, Second Hour
To Kill A Mockingbird Essay #2
13 August 2014
Boo Radley: Freak or Friend?
Scout Finch’s views on the world and how she sees the people of Maycomb change as she sees the changes that happen to the Radley house and Boo Radley.
Arthur (Boo) Radley was a man who was described to, “dine 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. There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time. (Lee, 65)”. The people of Maycomb, Alabama think Boo is a crazy man who needs to be put in an asylum. By stating this it …show more content…
For example when he mends Jem’s pants when they ripped. He also gave Scout a blanket when she was watching Dubose house burn down so she wouldn’t get chilled. He is also the one who would try to communicate with the children when no one else would. He brought them gifts such as chewing gum, polished pennies, gray twine, miniature dolls of the children, a whole package of gum, a tarnished spelling bee metal, and finally the pocket watch, which wouldn’t run, and knife. At the end of the book Boo acted as a guardian angel when he killed Bob Ewell, the abusive father, who tried to attack Jem and Scout. Through these acts of kindness the children get to know the real Boo Radley. Scout goes from being terrified of him saying, “Every night-sound I heard from my cot on the back porch was magnified three-fold; every scratch of feet on gravel was Boo Radley seeking revenge, every passing negro laughing in the night was Boo Radley loose and after us; insects splashing against the screen were Boo Radley's insane fingers picking the wire to pieces; the Chinaberry trees were malignant, hovering, alive. (Lee, 84)”, to feeling bad about “only taking from the tree, we never gave him anything in return” and then fearlessly walking up to …show more content…
By putting herself in Boo’s shoes she realized that she needed to do a self-evaluation. Scout realizes that she needs to change the way she thinks and acts towards people.
Scout learned early in life how to apply the lessons she learned to her everyday life. For example, Aunt Alexandria’s dinner party. Scout acted like a lady by putting aside her old views on how she felt about acting like a lady and wearing dresses. Another example is when she hears about Tom Robinson’s death and says, “If Aunt Alexandria could be a lady at a time like this, so could I.” By putting away her childish ways and trying to become an adult and accepting that fact that she needed to grow up and act like a lady made Scout realize what really matters in life and how to act in certain situations.
In conclusion Scout grew and matured more than any other character in this book. She learns many valuable lessons including how to distinguish right from wrong and that she should not judge someone until she gets to know them and she has to put herself in their situation. Over the course of the three years she becomes a more lady-like and respectable young