As a whole, society will always make the first judgement of a person based off of their appearance. If there is anything Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, has taught me, it is that the outer shell of another individual will more than likely be deceiving. Because of this, a judgement based solely on the way someone looks is invalid compared to the assessment of a personality. This theme is displayed often throughout the novel, such as instances involving Walter Cunningham, Boo Radley, and Tom Robinson. To begin, Walter Cunningham is a prime example of the fact that looks are not everything. Walter comes from a very poor family. Poverty is not an unusual occurrence in this time period, but there are different levels that range with
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This character is mysterious, and the children of To Kill A Mockingbird are very curious as to who he is. He never steps foot out of his house, and is considered a recluse. He and his family do not necessarily live up to the community standards, so there are often rumors that float around. One rumor in particular is how he looks. Due to the dangerous things that the people of Maycomb believe Boo has done, they assume his appearance resembles a monster. For example, the way the children imagine him: “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 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” (Page 16). Naturally, an ugly man that has been deemed dangerous will be rejected from the social circle, even without anyone ever attempting a conversation. As the story continues, the countless good deeds that Boo has accomplished do not go unnoticed. From leaving Jem and Scout presents, to comforting the children during a house fire, Boo shows kindness even after being mistreated his entire life. Without hesitation, the selfless acts continue and do not
This character is mysterious, and the children of To Kill A Mockingbird are very curious as to who he is. He never steps foot out of his house, and is considered a recluse. He and his family do not necessarily live up to the community standards, so there are often rumors that float around. One rumor in particular is how he looks. Due to the dangerous things that the people of Maycomb believe Boo has done, they assume his appearance resembles a monster. For example, the way the children imagine him: “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 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” (Page 16). Naturally, an ugly man that has been deemed dangerous will be rejected from the social circle, even without anyone ever attempting a conversation. As the story continues, the countless good deeds that Boo has accomplished do not go unnoticed. From leaving Jem and Scout presents, to comforting the children during a house fire, Boo shows kindness even after being mistreated his entire life. Without hesitation, the selfless acts continue and do not