The first person to be misjudged is Boo Radley. Longtime childhood fear, Boo is an outcast in society. Scout and her brother, Jem, initially picture him as a monster that lurks in his house, waiting for a victim to his inhuman acts. However, as the story progresses, Boo begins to surreptitiously present the children with gifts. Scout and Jem begin to develop a different idea of Boo Radley’s character. At the end of the novel, Boo saves their lives and his childlike innocence is revealed as Scout walks him home. Though he speaks few words, the reader discovers a lot about Boo’s character in the novel. In its final pages, one realizes that Boo lives as an outcast to society. The dramatic recharacterization shows Scout and Jem the value in developing an understanding of people before judging them. This theme is also reflected through Mrs. Dubose. Scout and Jem perceive her as the obnoxious enthusiast of southern prejudice who lives down the road. However after Jem spends days reading to her, the children learn she is withdrawing from an addiction to morphine. This realization uncovers a dimension of Mrs. Dubose’s character previously unseen, as well as an explanation of her history of rude behavior. Finally, this theme is echoed in Scout’s confrontation with Walter Cunningham. Scout is aware of the notorious financial struggles the Cunningham family encounters. When she invites Walter to lunch, she is taken aback by his obnoxious eating habits. However, Calpurnia, the family’s housekeeper, insists that Scout treat Walter as a guest, helping Scout understand and accept Walter’s behavior. At one point in the novel, Atticus remarks “ You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (Lee 33). This is one of the most frequently occurring themes in To Kill a Mockingbird. In
The first person to be misjudged is Boo Radley. Longtime childhood fear, Boo is an outcast in society. Scout and her brother, Jem, initially picture him as a monster that lurks in his house, waiting for a victim to his inhuman acts. However, as the story progresses, Boo begins to surreptitiously present the children with gifts. Scout and Jem begin to develop a different idea of Boo Radley’s character. At the end of the novel, Boo saves their lives and his childlike innocence is revealed as Scout walks him home. Though he speaks few words, the reader discovers a lot about Boo’s character in the novel. In its final pages, one realizes that Boo lives as an outcast to society. The dramatic recharacterization shows Scout and Jem the value in developing an understanding of people before judging them. This theme is also reflected through Mrs. Dubose. Scout and Jem perceive her as the obnoxious enthusiast of southern prejudice who lives down the road. However after Jem spends days reading to her, the children learn she is withdrawing from an addiction to morphine. This realization uncovers a dimension of Mrs. Dubose’s character previously unseen, as well as an explanation of her history of rude behavior. Finally, this theme is echoed in Scout’s confrontation with Walter Cunningham. Scout is aware of the notorious financial struggles the Cunningham family encounters. When she invites Walter to lunch, she is taken aback by his obnoxious eating habits. However, Calpurnia, the family’s housekeeper, insists that Scout treat Walter as a guest, helping Scout understand and accept Walter’s behavior. At one point in the novel, Atticus remarks “ You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (Lee 33). This is one of the most frequently occurring themes in To Kill a Mockingbird. In