In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, the author Harper Lee, teaches the causes for loneliness and the impact it has on the victims using the characters Dill, Mayella, and Boo. The character Dill was uncared for parents, his abandonment issues caused him to be a compulsive liar. Furthermore, Mayella Ewell felt alone in her family with attention only from her abusive dad; causing her to sexually harass a black man, which in her society was unthinkable. To exemplify Lee’s lesson, Boo Radley had virtually no one in his life, being locked up in his house for years causing him to have a bad reputation and become a hermit. Loneliness is a prominent issues discussed by Lee and she teaches her readers what being alone does to her characters. To begin
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Radley kept Boo chained up in the basement, but Scout thought to herself about how Atticus said “it wasn’t that sort of thing, that there were other ways of making people ghost” (11). Atticus knew there was mental abuse in the Radley house causing Boo to isolate himself from society. Once again, when Scout was talking to Miss Maudie about Boo, Scout asked if the stories about Mr. Arthur were true. Miss Maudie replied with no and, “that house is a sad house…The things that happen to people we never really know.” (45-46). Miss Maudie also knew how alone Boo was, unlike the kids who were infatuated with the haunted tales. Returning to when Dill ran away, Scout understands Dill ran away because of how alone he felt. What Scout couldn’t comprehend was why Boo never ran away, so she consulted Dill. Dill said, “Maybe he doesn’t have anywhere to run off to….” (144). Even if Boo wanted to run away from the abuse and isolation, he would have no one else to go to, he was trapped. In the end of the novel, Boo had saved Jem and Scout from a near death situation with Mr. Ewell. Scout was trying to be his friend and put her childhood superstitions in the past, but even with praise from Atticus, Tate, and Scout, Boo still wanted to be alone. Scout recalled walking Boo home when he “shut the door behind him. I never saw him again” (278). Boo was out of his house socializing with other beings, but in the end, he only ever had himself and his lonely house. Boo’s isolation caused him to not know how to conduct himself in society, he couldn’t deal with attention so in the end he stayed out of the spotlight which ultimately resulted in his indefinite
Radley kept Boo chained up in the basement, but Scout thought to herself about how Atticus said “it wasn’t that sort of thing, that there were other ways of making people ghost” (11). Atticus knew there was mental abuse in the Radley house causing Boo to isolate himself from society. Once again, when Scout was talking to Miss Maudie about Boo, Scout asked if the stories about Mr. Arthur were true. Miss Maudie replied with no and, “that house is a sad house…The things that happen to people we never really know.” (45-46). Miss Maudie also knew how alone Boo was, unlike the kids who were infatuated with the haunted tales. Returning to when Dill ran away, Scout understands Dill ran away because of how alone he felt. What Scout couldn’t comprehend was why Boo never ran away, so she consulted Dill. Dill said, “Maybe he doesn’t have anywhere to run off to….” (144). Even if Boo wanted to run away from the abuse and isolation, he would have no one else to go to, he was trapped. In the end of the novel, Boo had saved Jem and Scout from a near death situation with Mr. Ewell. Scout was trying to be his friend and put her childhood superstitions in the past, but even with praise from Atticus, Tate, and Scout, Boo still wanted to be alone. Scout recalled walking Boo home when he “shut the door behind him. I never saw him again” (278). Boo was out of his house socializing with other beings, but in the end, he only ever had himself and his lonely house. Boo’s isolation caused him to not know how to conduct himself in society, he couldn’t deal with attention so in the end he stayed out of the spotlight which ultimately resulted in his indefinite