To Kill a Mockingbird

Literature Based Essay

Mystery Hero

Many people in this world tend to judge others based on what society says about them. IN most cases, what society says is completely false. Just like in Harper Lee’s novel, “To Kill A Mockingbird.” In this book, a lawyer and his two children go through a series of dramatic events leading up to the two children, Scout and Jem Finch, to almost be killed. However an infamous person outcasted by societies rumors, steps in and saves their lives. Although Jem and Scout initially view Boo Radley, as a monster, they begin to realize that he is just a harmless man as he helps them at certain points throughout the novel.

Arthur Radley, better known as “Boo”, is seen as a monster at the beginning of the novel. The town saw him as a monster because he went “missing in action” for years on end; most say 15 years and people like Ms. Stephanie Crawford and many others in the town make up false stories and spread them to the town. In one of the stories, Dill makes an outrageous statement in a story not relevant to Boo.This story says, “She (Boo’s mother) also lost most of her teeth, her hair, all of her money and her right forefinger (Dills contribution. Boo bit it off one night when he couldn’t find any cats and squirrels to eat)” (52). He says he bites his own mother's finger off due to the lack of cats and squirrels to eat. This is an attempt to show Boo’s “true nature” and just goes to show how easily the people of Maycomb make up and believe these stories. There are also many more more examples of these stories like when Jem is describing Boo Radley as told to him by Miss Stephanie Crawford. Just like one would imagine an actual “monster”. He describes him as “six-and-a-half feet, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and and any cats he could catch , thats why his hands were bloodstained… there was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time” (16). Jem describes Boo with permanently bloodstained hands because of the blood from the raw animals he dines on and also says he drools all the time creating the image of a mindless monster. This is how society viewed Boo Radley.

Further into the novel Boo Radley begins to show himself in subtle events. Events such as when Boo Radley places a blanket over Scouts shoulders during Miss Maudie Atkinson’s house fire. While Scout, Jem and Atticus watch the fire Boo, without anyone knowing went over to Scout and placed a blanket over her shoulders. She did not know until it was pointed out that she had the blanket on her back. The novel says, “Thank who?’ I asked. ‘Boo Radley. You were so busy looking at the fire you didn’t know it when he put the blanket around you” (96). This event is one of many events where Boo does something without