What Does Boo Radley Represent In To Kill A Mockingbird

In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the author explores prejudice from the town through the use of a symbolic figure, mockingbird. Tom Robin is put on trial for the alleged rape of young Mayella Ewell, even though he is a kind man that is trying to help the young lady out. Boo Radley is victimized by the community based on town legends the the citizens of Maycomb have made about him, which forces him to live in exile inside his house. Atticus Finch is ridiculed by people for sticking to his morals and defending an African-American. As explained by Lee through her characters, the symbol of a mockingbird is to show the innocence and purity displayed throughout these three characters in the novel.. Tom Robinson was killed by the community of Maycomb, even though he was a very helpful and kind man. Mayella accused Tom of raping her. Even though Atticus proved to the jury that Tom was not guilty, they still ruled him guilty, simply based on Tom being a coloured …show more content…
Lee purposefully writes Boo as the last symbolic character discovered for the image of the mockingbird. Scout near the end of the novel realizes that blaming Boo for Bob Ewell’s death would be “sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird” (Lee 276). Boo was doing the right thing and saving innocent children from a spiteful man would be like killing a mockingbird, which is why it was unjust to send him to jail. Boo’s heroism and mockingbird qualities are presented, there are hints that Lee purposefully leaves throughout the novel to show Boo is a good person, despite the stories of his life. Boo wrapped a blanket around Scout when Miss Maudie’s house caught on fire, Boo left gifts for Jem and Scout in the trunk of a tree, and finally saved them from Bob Ewell when he tried to murder Scout and Jem. Boo Radley is a perfect representation of Harper Lee’s justicial depiction of the mockingbird and a victim of Maycomb’s social