Multi-Sided Characters In To Kill A Mockingbird

As one may know, humans are not simple and one-sided creatures who can be understood in a matter of minutes. They are beings of an intrinsic and contradictory nature which results in their complex personalities. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, set in the 1930’s south, we see many characters who display multi-sided personalities and traits; while they may appear to be solely “good” or “bad” at first, they actually prove to be complex individuals. In this novel, Harper Lee ensures characters are not simply “black and white” or good and evil. She creates characters who are not one dimensional but are instead beings of varying complexity who cannot be judged by first impressions. Dolphus Raymond, the town “drunk”, is criticized …show more content…
Unlike other multi-layered characters, Arthur does not act negatively in one case and then positively in another. Instead, he is viewed by Maycomb’s citizens in a derogatory manner but in reality is actually quite a benevolent person. In the beginning of the book, we see Jem relay Stephanie Crawford’s, the town scold’s, gossip concerning Arthur (Boo) Radley, stating that Arthur performed actions only a psychotic monster would such as assaulting their own parents with a pair of scissors. Much of Maycomb thought of Arthur as a “malevolent phantom” (10) (hence the nickname “Boo” - he’s a ghost) who caused all misfortune in their town. We can infer that Arthur was given such a horrible reputation for two reasons: First, we learn that the Radley family had lived their lives isolated from the rest of Maycomb in their home, in which they would rarely ever step outside. Because of this, the citizens of Maycomb saw the Radleys as “different” and judged them negatively as they would do to anyone separated from the community. Second of all, we discover that Arthur had been locked in his home since he was a child until adulthood due to his “...foot-washing Baptist” (59) (strict, rigid, and pious) father and brother, who believed that Arthur would become a sinner in the outside world. Maycomb lacked information on Arthur since he had been secluded for so long, and to make up …show more content…
People cannot be analyzed in minutes, or understood by simply viewing one of their various actions, because as we know, humans are volatile. One moment they say this, the next, they say that. To fully understand someone, one must see the big picture; all of their actions and the motives behind them. Once you see that, you can truly judge someone for who they really