Boo Radley's Porch Symbolism

Not one single person has never judged another based on stereotype or other’s opinions; it’s human nature to assume if one is unsure of something. But, with help one can learn how to bypass assumptions. At the beginning of Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus gives Scout a piece of advice she will wholeheartedly embrace and take into consideration later in the novel: Atticus said, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view” (39). She employs this advice little by little, but it was not until she stood on Boo Radley’s porch did she really understand what Atticus meant. The lack of judgement is evident in the passage when Scout is standing on Boo’s porch. Scout’s new understanding …show more content…
There are so many rumors surrounding him that he doesn 't even seem human. Author Harper Lee uses the symbolism of Boo Radley’s porch in order to represent her understanding of Boo. As Scout walked Boo to his house she thought to herself; it was only the second time in her life she had been on his porch (373). The time prior she had gone out of sheer curiosity, tagging along with Dill and Jem. Before she had wanted to look in the shutters of the Radley home, hoping to catch a glimpse of Boo. But now, having been face-to-face with him, she looked outward as he did everyday. The interaction she had with him was short, but it gave her insight of what he sees through the windows of his worn-down house on a daily basis. The once mysterious house suddenly seemed familiar to her, she was not afraid of what was peering out the window anymore because of her new understanding of Boo. Before Scout left however, she turned to the window, “I walked to it, stood in front of it, and turned around. In daylight, I thought, you could see the post office corner” (373). In a last attempt to truly consider his point of view Scout looks from the window towards the town. Scout sees his interest to interact with the environment around him like he does with Jem and Scout but he knows that the world outside his house is cruel and unfair. Through Scout being able to attune to his way of thinking shows her growth …show more content…
To Kill a Mockingbird tells us the story of a girl who finds her path to adulthood by learning more about the society and people around her. By acknowledging another’s outlook on life, even though society makes it hard to do so, Scout matures. To look through another’s eyes is an effort to connect with them on a personal level. Being able to make a connection like that proves one has (in one sense or another) matured. It is easy to predict that, without Atticus’ advice, Scout would not have matured as fast as she