Skip to main content

How does Boo Radley relate to the theme of prejudice in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird?

Although racial prejudice is important to the story, Boo Radley represents another type of prejudice.  People fear and do not accept anyone who is different.


The entire neighborhood is judgmental and critical of Boo Radley.  He’s an unusual man, because he has not been seen outside of his house since he was a teenager.  The adults told stories about him, and the children were afraid of him.


The Radley Place was inhabited by an unknown...

Although racial prejudice is important to the story, Boo Radley represents another type of prejudice.  People fear and do not accept anyone who is different.


The entire neighborhood is judgmental and critical of Boo Radley.  He’s an unusual man, because he has not been seen outside of his house since he was a teenager.  The adults told stories about him, and the children were afraid of him.



The Radley Place was inhabited by an unknown entity the mere description of whom was enough to make us behave for days on end … (Ch. 1) 



Arthur Radley was a fairly normal boy, but he had a troubled young adulthood.  He was somewhat of a juvenile delinquent.  His parents were very strict “foot-washing” Baptists.  This might have affected the fact that he turned on them.  The most famous (and perhaps apocryphal) incident was the scissors incident when Boo was thirty-three years old. 



According to Miss Stephanie, Boo was sitting in the livingroom cutting some items from The Maycomb Tribune to paste in his scrapbook. His father entered the room. As Mr. Radley passed by, Boo drove the scissors into his parent’s leg, pulled them out, wiped them on his pants, and resumed his activities. (Ch. 1) 



Boo Radley was kept in the courthouse basement, and then returned to the custody of his family and never seen again.  Since this incident, the adults in the neighborhood gossiped about him.  People like Stephanie Crawford told stories about him, such as that he was peeking into windows at night. 


Actually, Arthur Radley was just quiet and shy and wanted to be left alone.  He did not leave his house because he didn’t want to.  Scout, Jem, and Dill shifted from thinking he was a monster to trying to be friends with him, and it paid off.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Can you analyze the poem "Absolution" by Siegfried Sassoon?

Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and... Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and the v...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more