"You never truly understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into his skin and walk around," said Atticus effectively summarizing the difficulty of understanding Boo Radley (Lee 30). Because of his reclusive nature, it was impossible for Maycomb 's citizens to understand Boo Radley. His isolation from society resulted in the total development of his character to come from outsiders until his appearance at the end of To Kill a Mockingbird. As a result, although not physically present for most of the novel, Harper Lee effectively involves his presence through mysterious and thrilling rumors fabricated by the townspeople. This leads to a stark contrast between the person the townspeople create Boo to
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Although Boo’s most obvious act of heroism comes when he saves two mockingbirds, he also commits everyday acts of heroism throughout the novel that cannot be overlooked. After Jem, Scout and Dill make an attempt to peek through a window at the Radley Place to catch a glimpse of Boo, Nathan Radley comes to investigate the noise. He fires his gun into the air, and in their fright, Jem, Scout, and Dill flee. Jem’s pants got stuck in the fence in their hysteria, and knowing the trouble he could be in if Nathan Radley found them, Jem returns to the Radley Place to retrieve his pants. Scout, worried about Jem’s safety, says, “I began to feel sick. Going back to that place by himself- I remembered Miss Stephanie: Mr. Nathan had the other barrel waiting for the next sound he heard, be it nigger, dog… Jem knew that better than I (Lee 56).” Scout knows that Jem’s life is in danger, but he decides to go in spite of her desperate pleas. Much to her relief, Jem returns safely later that night, pants in tow. His pants had been sewed back up crudely, alluding that Boo Radley had repaired them. This instance represents a small act of heroism, because, according to Miss Stephanie, had Nathan Radley been the one to discover the pants, Jem would have faced extreme consequences, possibly even death by Nathan’s trigger happy hands. Although that instance was a very important, and often overlooked, act of heroism, the most important act of heroism in the novel comes when Boo saves two mockingbirds, Scout and Jem. After Atticus revealed the atrocity of Bob Ewell’s character in the trial, Bob wanted revenge. Because Bob was a coward, he did not look to harm Atticus directly, and instead looked to destroy him by targeting weaker prey. His sights were set on Atticus’s beloved children, Jem and Scout. Their youth and innocence made them easy targets, while their connection to Atticus would result in
Although Boo’s most obvious act of heroism comes when he saves two mockingbirds, he also commits everyday acts of heroism throughout the novel that cannot be overlooked. After Jem, Scout and Dill make an attempt to peek through a window at the Radley Place to catch a glimpse of Boo, Nathan Radley comes to investigate the noise. He fires his gun into the air, and in their fright, Jem, Scout, and Dill flee. Jem’s pants got stuck in the fence in their hysteria, and knowing the trouble he could be in if Nathan Radley found them, Jem returns to the Radley Place to retrieve his pants. Scout, worried about Jem’s safety, says, “I began to feel sick. Going back to that place by himself- I remembered Miss Stephanie: Mr. Nathan had the other barrel waiting for the next sound he heard, be it nigger, dog… Jem knew that better than I (Lee 56).” Scout knows that Jem’s life is in danger, but he decides to go in spite of her desperate pleas. Much to her relief, Jem returns safely later that night, pants in tow. His pants had been sewed back up crudely, alluding that Boo Radley had repaired them. This instance represents a small act of heroism, because, according to Miss Stephanie, had Nathan Radley been the one to discover the pants, Jem would have faced extreme consequences, possibly even death by Nathan’s trigger happy hands. Although that instance was a very important, and often overlooked, act of heroism, the most important act of heroism in the novel comes when Boo saves two mockingbirds, Scout and Jem. After Atticus revealed the atrocity of Bob Ewell’s character in the trial, Bob wanted revenge. Because Bob was a coward, he did not look to harm Atticus directly, and instead looked to destroy him by targeting weaker prey. His sights were set on Atticus’s beloved children, Jem and Scout. Their youth and innocence made them easy targets, while their connection to Atticus would result in