Protecting the Protector
In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Boo Radley begins as a scary story that dominates Jem and Scout’s childhood, but it is later understood that Boo is not a scary story. He is a broken man with feelings and an unconditional love for “his children” (p. 374). Boo posseses three character traits that are crucial to the plot and theme of To Kill a Mockingbird. He is lonely and his isolation leads him to look out his window and find a secret life with the kids. Boo is also innocent like a child which can be seen when he interacts with scout towards the end of the book. Finally Boo is protective, he shows this the two times he leaves his house, both times he leaves to help the children. All of these traits work together …show more content…
He lashed out as a grown man and stabbed his own father (p. 13). After that he was not seen for 15 years. He was isolated and if he isn’t as crazy as the kids thought the reader is lead to believe that Boo’s isolation probably destroyed him. That may be the case but Boo’s isolation did a lot more than that. He longed for some kind of connection with others and he began to watch the children, which is revealed when scout hears the sound of his laughter after crashing into the Radley yard (p. 54). As he watched the children a one sided love began to flourish, he was somehow helping his own loneliness go …show more content…
Boo’s protective instincts and the way he act out of love to protect the children are probably one of the most important factors in To Kill a Mockingbird. The first time Boo ventures out of his house he puts a blanket around scout (p. 96), and the second time he saved the children’s lives (p. 362). Both of those times he was protecting them from something. He loved the children and love can make people do crazy things, in the case of Boo his love made him kill another man. Yes he may have already been a little insane but killing was not an act of aggression it was an act of innocence. Boo did the only thing he knew to do to protect what he
In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Boo Radley begins as a scary story that dominates Jem and Scout’s childhood, but it is later understood that Boo is not a scary story. He is a broken man with feelings and an unconditional love for “his children” (p. 374). Boo posseses three character traits that are crucial to the plot and theme of To Kill a Mockingbird. He is lonely and his isolation leads him to look out his window and find a secret life with the kids. Boo is also innocent like a child which can be seen when he interacts with scout towards the end of the book. Finally Boo is protective, he shows this the two times he leaves his house, both times he leaves to help the children. All of these traits work together …show more content…
He lashed out as a grown man and stabbed his own father (p. 13). After that he was not seen for 15 years. He was isolated and if he isn’t as crazy as the kids thought the reader is lead to believe that Boo’s isolation probably destroyed him. That may be the case but Boo’s isolation did a lot more than that. He longed for some kind of connection with others and he began to watch the children, which is revealed when scout hears the sound of his laughter after crashing into the Radley yard (p. 54). As he watched the children a one sided love began to flourish, he was somehow helping his own loneliness go …show more content…
Boo’s protective instincts and the way he act out of love to protect the children are probably one of the most important factors in To Kill a Mockingbird. The first time Boo ventures out of his house he puts a blanket around scout (p. 96), and the second time he saved the children’s lives (p. 362). Both of those times he was protecting them from something. He loved the children and love can make people do crazy things, in the case of Boo his love made him kill another man. Yes he may have already been a little insane but killing was not an act of aggression it was an act of innocence. Boo did the only thing he knew to do to protect what he